Big Ganpati pandals in Mumbai go online for devotees to catch a glimpse of the elephant god
With the Covid-19 pandemic casting a shadow on the festival season, most big pandals have decided to go online to ensure that devotees are not devoid of a glimpse of the lord.
The city’s favourite Ganpati Bappa will arrive on Saturday without much of the fanfare associated with the festival - grand openings, dhol tasha performance and long queues of devotees outside the many pandals in every corner of Mumbai.
With the Covid-19 pandemic casting a shadow on the festival season, most big pandals have decided to go online to ensure that devotees are not devoid of a glimpse of the lord.
At King’s Circle, the Goud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) Seva Mandal (committee) - one of the richest Ganpati mandals in the city - has decided to conduct regular aartis all day long and make the same available for devotees everyday on the mandal’s Facebook page as well as YouTube channel. While live darshan will be on from 7 am to 9 pm, devotees have also been booking sevas that will be offered to the Ganesh idol over the next few days.
“Since only five people are allowed inside a pandal as per restrictions due to Covid-19, we have decided to allow only five priests in the pandal who will keep performing poojas and chanting mantras through the day,” said R G Bhat, trustee, GSB Seva Mandal. He added that Ganesh seva will be done in a way that devotees can log in any time and perform the same pooja at their home as well.
For the first time in the 86 years of its existence, the Lalbaugcha Raja Ganpati Mandal will not have an idol this year, in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead, an 11-day plasma donation drive is being conducted.
A few lanes away from Lalbaugcha Raja, the Mumbaicha Raja idol was unveiled on Saturday morning in Ganesh Galli. Departing from the tradition of tall idols and grand pandal decorations, this year’s idol is only 3-feet high, as directed by the state government. Devotees can catch a live glimpse of the idol on the official Facebook, YouTube and Instagram channels of Lalbaug Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal (Mumbaicha Raja).
“Devotees will be allowed for darshan with social distancing and sanitisation measures only. We are encouraging devotees to opt for online darshan,” said Aniket Singh, a member of the committee. This year, the pandal will not be accepting voluntary donations from its members as the pandemic has likely increased financial burdens on most families. “There will be no immersion procession and the idol will be immersed in an artificial pond,” Singh added.
Andhericha Raja in the western suburbs is one of the last idols to be immersed, giving devotees two extra days to catch a glimpse of the lord. This year, to avoid crowding, the committee has decided to place the 4-feet idol on a hydraulic crane. “The idea is that devotees can see the idol from afar and need not crowd the pandal,” said a member of the Azad Nagar Utsav Committee. Devotees will get a chance to do online darshan, too.
