Mumbai devotees to miss Ganpati Bappa this year

In almost two months, the island city’s most cherished festivity, Ganesh Chaturthi, synonymous with devotion and cheer, arrives at its shores. However, with the Covid-19 outbreak, the city’s biggest pandals and its organisers have taken the decision to postpone or skip this year’s celebrations.

Though, this has been a cause of great disappointment for the devotees, the larger consensus is of the view that there are no two ways to go about it. Krishna Kumar, 24, a professional, who had plans to visit the pandal this year says, “I’ve been in Dubai for the past four years. But I went to college in Mumbai. I came back this year and was planning to visit Lalbaugcha Raja,” he says.

Another devotee, Apurva Shetty, an IT professional, says that she and her family used to look forward to the final day of the festival. “For over 20 years, we’ve made it a tradition to visit the GSB Seva Mandal (Goud Saraswat Brahmin Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samiti of Wadala). This year, it won’t be the same.”

Recently, the committee from Lalbaughcha Raja announced that they’ll cancel the celebration and organise blood and plasma donation camps in its place. Sudhir

Salvi, secretary, Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, says, “We will await our Lord’s arrival next year,” adding that they’ll be “donating ₹25 lakh to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund”.

For Kiran Khatu, a volunteer at Lalbaugcha Raja, this year is not going to be any different. He says, “I’ll support the mandal like we do during the 11 days of Ganpati.”

GSB, too, will give their celebrations a miss this year. But, Ulhas Kamat, president of the mandal, has announced that they’ve postponed it to February 15, 2021, when Maghi Ganesh Chaturthi begins.

Similarly, Swapnil Parab, secretary, Lalbaug Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal, Ganesh Galli, who organise Mumbaicha Raja, says, “We always bring a 22-feet idol, but this year, we will keep only the four-feet ecofriendly idol and avoid gatherings.”

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