Bhopal Ke Raja Turns 80 As Ganesh Utsav Begins; Dagdusheth Replica, Simhastha-Themed Pandals Await Devotees

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): 'Bhopal Ke Raja', like Independent India, has turned 80 this year. The Shri Dol Gyaras Samiti has been installing an idol of Lord Ganesha - popularly known as 'Bhopal Ke Raja' - at Peepal Chowk in the Old City since 1947.

Brijbhushan Goyal, Uddhavdas Mehta and Mohanlal Simhal were among the founder-members of the Samiti, which started the tradition of celebrating Ganesh Utsav in Bhopal.

“Now the third and fourth generations of the founders are managing the things. But the tradition remains unbroken,” Deepak Goyal, the patron of the Samiti, told Free Press.

He said that public celebration of festivals was not permitted when the city was under the rule of the Nawab and hence in 1947 and 1948, the idol was installed in a shop. Since 1949, the Samiti has been celebrating the Ganeshotsava publicly.

Besides Ganesha, the idols of goddesses Riddhi-Siddhi and Ganesha's sons Shubh-Labh are also installed at Peepal Chowk. The idol is decorated with different fresh flowers every day and 'Chappan Bhog' is offered as 'prasad' to the Lord.

Goyal said that they will spend around Rs 15 lakh on the event this year. “We have been following the same traditions and rituals for the past 80 years. We haven’t changed anything. The height of the Ganesha idol will be six feet like always,” he said.

Hundreds of pandals will open their doors to the devotees in the city on Monday - the first day of the 10-day Ganesha Utsav.

In New Market, a replica of Pune's Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple will be the central attraction of the Ganesha Utsav celebrations.

A 13-foot idol of Lord Gan Gajanand will be installed in a 3,000-sq-foot pandal. Ranjeet Manjhi, coordinator of New Market Ganesh Utsav Samiti, said that the total expenditure of this year is Rs 10 lakh.

A 17-foot idol of Ganesha will be installed at Mata Mandir, while in Chandbad, the devotees will be able to see the Lord of Wisdom holding a 'Chakra' in his hands.

In Somwara, a 12-foot idol of Ganesha riding a Nandi will be installed. The pandal in Sindhi Colony will be themed on the Simhastha and will showcase Mahakal and the Kshipra river.