This
year’s Vinayaka Chaturthi generated a curious desire in me. I wanted to know in detail how the
festival is celebrated outside Tamil Nadu. Digital technology came to my help. I surfed websites, watched television
channels, closely went through social media posts and browsed e-newspapers. The result was amazing. I could collect some astounding facts and
figures. It is my pleasure to share some
of them here.
THE GRANDEUR OF GANESHA
(By Subbaram Danda)
Vinayaka
Chaturthi is one great Hindu festival that lends itself to celebration in a
variety of ways. While in temples
special worship is conducted, at homes people bring freshly-made mud images of
the deity and offer prayers. An
outstanding feature is the setting up of temporary road-side pandals (sheds) at
vantage points in various cities, towns and villages and installing in them huge
idols of Vinayaka in mind-boggling styles.
The
centre of all activity in India is undoubtedly Mumbai, where the festivity goes
on for as many as ten days. In that metropolitan city the cynosure of all eyes is
a huge Vinayaka idol affectionately called Lalbaugcha Raja in a lane of Lalbaug
market in Central Mumbai. It has been very popular for the past 85 years.
This year
the Lalbaugcha Raja’s idol is 15 feet tall installed in a pandal beautifully
done up with 3D technology. Graphics embellish
the stage colourfully with a backdrop of cascading waterfalls, hovering birds
and blooming flowers.
 |
| Lalbaugcha Raja |
The divine
Raja draws an incredibly large number of people, including Bollywood
celebrities and politicians -- around 15 lakhs every day for ten days! How such a vast sea of moving people is
controlled is anybody’s guess. Devotees keep
going in two lines. In the first they
can go near the feet of the idol and get a close-up view of the deity. The
second queue does not permit going close to the stage. In the first line, it is said people stand
sometimes for as long as 30 hours and in the second for up to eight hours,
according to Wikipedia.
Why is
this Ganesha so famous? Devotees strongly
believe that praying to this deity, in particular touching his feet, will
enable them to get their wishes granted.
Television channels stream the festivities live. After the celebrations, the idol is immersed
in the sea.
Every
year the idol is made according to a legendary design by members of a
particular family called Kamblis, who were originally sculptors. The design is patent-protected.
The organizers of this grand show are the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal. They have taken a comprehensive insurance policy.
Another major
attraction is a large idol known widely as Mumbai’s Gold Ganesha. It is adorned with ornaments of the yellow
metal weighing more than 70 kg of pure gold, besides diamond-studded jewellery
and silver articles. Seated on a golden
throne the idol shines in an ornate pandal in King’s circle.
Just
before immersion of the idol in the sea at the end of the festivities, the
jewels are taken out and kept in safe custody till next year. The organizers are
GSB Seva Mandal. They have also taken a
comprehensive insurance policy.
 |
| Golden Ganesha |
There is yet
another place in Mumbai where people throng. It is to have darshan of Ganesh Gallicha Raja. This year the deity is represented as riding
a charging horse. The statue in vivid colours stands out as a vibrant work of art. Interestingly, Ganesh Galli is just a few
lanes away from the Lalbaug idol.
 |
| Ganesh Gallicha Raja |
In
Maharashtra, including Mumbai, there are several thousands of other idols. Each conveys a legend or a message. This year protection of the environment is the overwhelming theme.
After
Maharashtra, south India takes pride of place in celebrating Vinayaka
Chaturthi. In Telangana, the Khairatabad
Ganesha in Hyderabad is famous. This time
it is Saptamukha Kalasarpa Maha Ganapati standing 57-feet tall, nearly as high as a six-storey building. In the
foreground are mini statues of Lakshmi and Saraswati.
A
highlight of the festivities at Khairatabad is a 580-kg laddu prepared by a
sweet stall as an offering to the deity.
Finally, it will be distributed to devotees.
 |
| Khairatabad Ganesha |
Throughout
India and overseas deity Vinayaka is worshipped in ways that can only be
described as incredible. Human ingenuity
reaches its pinnacle in designing and creating gigantic idols for Ganesh
Chaturthi. They number a few lakhs. Only very famous ones have been presented in
this feature.
September
17, 2018
