An amalgamation of art and faith: 5 Ganesh pandals worth visiting this Ganesh Chaturthi

Festivals are the carrier of vibrancy and pomp and Mumbai’s most awaited annual festival Ganesh Chaturthi has begun. Every year a mass of people flock in at various pandals throughout the city to catch a glimpse of the elephant-headed god, Gajanan. 

While several people are just eager to look at their Lord, a fraction of people await the art brought by the pandals across Mumbai. So, here is a list of some Ganpati pandals in Mumbai that attract the crowd for vivid reasons.

Lalbaug cha Raja

Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai goes hand-in-hand with Lalbaug cha Raja and the pandal is the most popular Ganesh pandal in Mumbai. The king of Lalbaug was founded in 1934 and on an estimate, is said to draw more than 1.5 million devotees a day as it is said that the idol fulfills wishes.

In order to take a look at the Lalbaug cha Raja, the pandal is set to manage the crowd using two lines – a general line and the second one is ‘navas’ line. While the general line aka ‘Mukh Darshan’ line is a few meters away from the idol, the navas line allows the devotees to worship the Ganpati by touching the idol’s feet. However, the navas line consists of a mammoth queue where you might have to wait from 8-9 hours to 24-25 hours.

Directions: Alight at Chinchpokli station if you intend to come from Central Railway. If you are planning to come from Western Railway, alight at Lower Parel station. The pandal is at 10-15 minutes walking distance from both the stations.

Ganesh Galli cha Raja

Ganesh Galli cha Raja, the actual Mumbai cha Raja is one of the oldest Ganpati pandals in the city. The actual king of the Ganpati pandals across the city was founded in 1928. The pandal is famous for its distinctive themes and is just a few blocks away from the famous Lalbaug cha Raja pandal.

Directions: If you are planning to come from Central Railway, alight at Chinchpokli or Currey Road station. O from Lower Parel station if you prefer Western Railway. Also, the pandal is really close to Lalbaug cha Raja’s pandal.

Tejukaya cha Raja

Tejukaya cha Raja is said to have got its name from a British era personality, Rao Bahadur Seth Shri Tejukaya who was a civil contractor by profession. The pandal is famous for its idols and decorations.

Directions: Alight at Currey Road or Chinchpokli station from Central Railway. The Tejukaya cha Raja’s pandal is ten minutes away from the stations.

GSB Seva Mandal

Mumbai’s richest pandal, GSB Seva Mandal is considered one of the flashiest Ganpati pandals as the idol is garnered with 60 kilograms of gold. The pandal was found in 1954 by the Gowd Saraswat Brahmin community from Karnataka.

Directions: G.S.B. Sports Club Ground, Near S.N.D.T. Women’s College, R.A. Kidwai Road, King’s Circle, Matunga. Alight at Kings Circle on the Harbour Line or Matunga on the Central Line.

Keshavji Naik Chawl Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal

One of the initial Ganesh pandals in the city, the Keshavji Naik Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal was established by freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak in 1893. Popularly known as Lokmanya, Bal Gangadhar Tilak played a pivotal role in bringing back Ganpati celebrations on the streets.

Directions: Keshavji Naik Chawl, Khadilkar Rd, Kandawadi, Urankawadi, Mangal Wadi, Girgaon. Alight at Charni Road station. Take a taxi ride for Nikdavri lane.