Mumbai: Thousands of ecstatic devotees packed the streets of Mumbai on Saturday to celebrate the grand aagman of Lord Ganesha idols for several of the city's most iconic community pandals. The energetic procession marked a crescendo in local celebrations, occurring roughly two weeks before the main Ganesha Chaturthi festival.
Over 59 Major Pandals Welcome Bappa Across MMR
More than 59 prominent pandals across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region officially welcomed Bappa on Saturday alone. This included major city mandals, such as Chinchpoklicha Chintamani, Parelcha Raja, Mumbaicha Peshwa, Colabacha Raja, Chemburcha Chintamani, and more, at places like Parel Workshop, Gansankul, Lalbaug-Parel Ganesh Nagri, Bakri Adda, and others.
Key arterial roads across central and southern Mumbai were transformed into vibrant hubs of celebration. Neighbourhoods housing famous deities saw heavy footfall as families and youth groups gathered to catch a priced first glimpse of the idols. Devotees welcomed bappa with music, dance, flower petals and religious fervour.
123 More Pandals To Bring Idols Home On Sunday
This major wave follows an initial group of 21 pandals that brought their idols home on August 15, setting the stage for an even larger rollout on Sunday, when at least 123 additional pandals are scheduled to receive their deities. This will include pandals such as Girgaoncha Raja, Mumbaicha Icchapurti, Khetwadicha Chintamani, Tardeocha Raja, and more.
The focal point of Saturday’s grand arrival ceremony was undoubtedly the "Chintamani of Chinchpokli," the presiding deity of the Chinchpokli Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal. Entering its 107th year of celebrations in Girangaon – the historic mill heartland of South-Central Mumbai – the mandal pulled out all the stops for its landmark procession.
14-Foot Idol Inspired By Tirupati Balaji Theme
The idol was crafted by acclaimed sculptor Siddhesh Dighole of Kalagandha Arts in Parel. This year’s 14-feet-tall Chintamani idol will present a striking depiction inspired by Tirupati Balaji. The deity rests upon a magnificently detailed Garuda throne, flanked by Goddess Lakshmi on one side and Goddess Padmavati on the other, creating a visual effect that drew continuous cheers from the crowd.
Chinchpokli Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal’s honorary secretary, Santosh Sohani, said, “Like every year people from across Mumbai are eager to catch the first look of Chinckpoklicha Chintamani. Thousands of people came to participate in the aagman procession today. Despite the massive surge of people filling the narrow lanes of Chinchpokli and surrounding districts, local authorities maintained tight, seamless control over traffic and crowd safety. The multi-agency coordination enabled the massive event to proceed safely.”
The excitement was paralleled in the suburbs as Sakinakyacha Maharaja also welcomed bappa with an extravagant celebration including Nashik dhol and Lavani dance. Thousands of people gathered in the procession to catch the first glimpse of the 45-feet-tall idol, which started from the pandaal’s location at Samhita Complex near Telephone Exchange in Saki Naka and passed through Kurla-Andheri Link Road, Safed Pul, Central Hospital and back to the pandal.
Jack Jikamade, secretary of the mandal, said, “We believe this year Sakinakyacha Maharaja will have one of the tallest idols across the state. It felt like the entire Mumbai was on the streets of Saki Naka to see bappa. The Jai Jawaan Govinda Pathak team, which had set a world record for the tallest human pyramid in 2022, came to give a grand salute to bappa.”
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