Mumbai's Ganesh Chaturthi: The festival that transforms the city and inspires unity

The resonant sounds of dhol and tasha, traditional Indian percussion instruments, fill the winding alleys as a sea of devotees passionately chant 'Ganpati Bappa Moraya.' This captivating experience witnessed during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Mumbai has the power to induce goosebumps. The festival unfolds with unparalleled splendour as the city warmly embraces Lord Ganesha. Concisely, Ganesh Chaturthi is undeniably one of Mumbai's most beloved and spectacular festivities.

The festival does not only signify the arrival of Lord Ganesha but presents a fascinating spectacle of urban infrastructure management. The metamorphosis that the city undergoes during Ganesh Chaturthi is nothing short of extraordinary.

In the weeks leading up to the festival, communities come together to build breathtakingly elaborate pandals, or temporary shrines, that serve as the focal point for the celebrations. These pandals are often adorned with intricate artwork, vibrant colours, and dazzling lighting arrangements, creating an awe-inspiring ambience that captivates both residents and visitors.

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Managing this monumental transformation is no small feat for civic authorities. The installation and immersion of massive Ganesha idols require careful planning and execution to ensure the safety and well-being of the public. Traffic diversions and crowd control measures become essential, and the temporary structures must meet stringent safety standards.

The civic body and police work in tandem to ensure the festivities are observed without having issues with law and order. While the civic body looks at sanitation and roadwork, the police work towards safeguarding the public, effectively managing traffic, and ensuring that no disasters occur during immersion in the Ganesha idols.

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For Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), major work starts with allotting permissions for the erection of pandals and making sure all the road repair work is completed before Bappa's arrival. The city roads are riddled with potholes during monsoon; thus, the BMC ensures all roads through which the processions of huge idols of Mumbai pass are pothole-free.

Besides the roadworks, the BMC is also the authority that gives the organising committees permission to put up the pandals. With the advent of technology, civic employees have also become tech-savvy and streamlined the process of getting permission through their website.

Applicants can access the website and get all the forms and necessary approvals from the police, traffic police and fire department using the same.

Ramakant Biradar, the deputy BMC commissioner, who is overseeing the process, said that pandals seeking permission for years get their approvals rather easily than the new committees who must submit written appeals. The civic body then seeks reviews of the traffic police and fire brigade before the approval is accorded.

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Biradar added that they have created one window where applicants can find the guidelines and seek necessary permission from all departments including the police.

When asked about how the civic agency manages the influx of the crowd during Ganesh Chaturthi, the official added that they work with the Traffic Police closely who effectively manage the crowd and vehicular movement when everyone is drowned in festive fervour. "We also seek help from a private academy - Aniruddha Academy of Disaster Management."

Biradar said that they have been collaborating with the academy which deploys nearly 800-1000 personnel of their own to help avert disaster amid the celebrations. They help regulate the crowd and traffic; the civic agency also benefits from the additional safety equipment the group has.

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"The BMC and Aniruddha Academy have been collaborating for quite some time and this year nearly 800-1000 personnel from the academy will be deployed in Mumbai. We recently held a meeting with the academy personnel to discuss our plan for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi," he said.

Elucidating on the sanitation, he said that the BMC forms a separate team and hires additional vehicles for the festivities. These dumping vehicles collect wet and dry waste separately.

"We use the wet waste in making compost, while we engage various non-governmental organisations in each ward that collect the dry waste, segregate it and then it is sent for dumping and recycling accordingly," said Ramakant Biradar.

While the BMC is busy looking at sanitation and other formalities, the Mumbai Police step up their security each year. Every year, police surveillance during Ganesh Chaturthi is tightened as thousands of personnel with traffic police are deployed for traffic regulation during Ganesha's arrival and immersion. Additional security is called upon every year which includes Rapid Action Force, Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad, Canine Squad, State Reserve Force and others. The NGOs too are a pivotal support for the police amid grandeur celebrations.

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Last year, the city police deployed over 30,000 personnel to prevent miscreants from taking advantage of the crowd across the city. Senior officials had themselves monitored these crowded spaces, especially the shores during immersion. The city police had also been monitoring the city using drones last year. Subsequently, Nirbhaya teams were given special instructions for ensuring the safety of minors and women in crowded places.

While the civic agencies and police effectively manage the festival, a great measure of contribution also comes from the organising committees that abide by the guidelines chalked out for the celebrations. The committee members work parallelly with the authorities making sure no one's safety is compromised while observing the festival.

Uday Salian, the media coordinator for Azadnagar Sarvajanik Utsav Samiti, said that the Ganpati idol they install at Andheri's pandal is made in Lalbaug. He said while getting it to Andheri, they ensure the procession begins at an hour which will not inconvenience the public or lead to much crowding thus preventing mishaps.

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"We neatly think and plan how to get the murti (idol) to the pandal in Andheri from Lalbaug. To not disturb the public and their routine, we plan to take out the procession at a time during the night when the rush is less. At such an hour, the possibility of traffic congestion is less as well," Salian said.

Further elaborating on their immersion procession, he said, "Our Ganpati is immersed on Sankashti Chaturthi which falls four days after Anant Chaturdashi. Even though the procession leaves the pandal at 5.30 - 6.00 pm, it is within the confines of the colony until 10 pm as many devotees come to seek blessings. Thus, even during immersion, we ensure there is no major disruption for the public."

Meanwhile, RG Bhat, the Vice-Chairman of GSB Seva Mandal, said that the idol installed near Sion Fort was built at the location itself. He added that a family of artisans made the idol using shadu clay and durva (Conch grass). Since they began celebrations 69 years ago, Bhat said, they have gotten the 14-feet-idol made of clay.

When asked about specific support required from the civic authorities, both Bhat and Salian said that their respective organising committees have been coordinating with the BMC well and they praise the authorities for ensuring the pandals are given adequate space that will help observe the festival smoothly.

Further talking about the sanitation and eco-friendly initiatives undertaken by the organising committee to lessen waste generation, Salian said that the Azadnagar committee has been using sets made of fibre which can be reused.

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"Although our bigger idol is made of Plaster of Paris, we make sure to bring the smaller idol, used for worshipping, is made of Shadu clay. To be certain that we are not generating waste and contributing to pollution, we regularly clean the area. People bring lots of food, flowers etc as offerings which are distributed among the residents. Additionally, our art director and his team use décor made of fibre which can be reused," Salian added.

In the meanwhile, Bhat said that their committee has been observing eco-friendly celebrations since the beginning. "We perform Anna Dana and feed devotees bhojanam (meals) on a banana leaf. Nearly 15,000 to 20,000 persons take anna prasadam. We have always ensured to use as few plastic materials as possible. Apart from having over 100 sanitation workers deployed on the ground, we work with BMC for waste disposal. Its vehicle arrives three times a day and takes away whatever waste we generate."

Salian pointed out that Ganesh Chaturthi is the biggest festival celebrated in Mumbai and Maharashtra. The festival is observed by people of all communities, he had said. Indeed, it is a testament to the city's vibrant culture, unity, and meticulous planning. The dedication of the civic agencies, police, and organising committees, coupled with their eco-conscious initiatives, reflects the spirit of responsible and inclusive celebrations.