Record number of pandals; Mumbai gears up for a grand Ganesh festival
Every year, organisers of Sarvajanik Mandals seek permission from the civic authorities to set up pandals for the festival. This year, the BMC received 3,767 applications, of which 2,729 or 72 per cent, have been granted permission.
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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has given permission to more than 2,700 mandals to set up Ganesh pandals across the megapolis. (Express Photo by Ganesh Shirsekar) Mumbai is abuzz with excitement as Ganesh festival week kicks off Tuesday, with the highest number of pandals in the city this year. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has given permission to more than 2,700 mandals to set up Ganesh pandals across the megapolis — the highest number in the city since 2018.
Every year, organisers of Sarvajanik Mandals seek permission from the civic authorities to set up pandals for the festival. This year, the BMC received 3,767 applications, of which 2,729 or 72 per cent, have been granted permission. In 2022, the BMC received 3,487 applications, with 2,417 applicants receiving approval.
In 2021, out of 3,104 applications, 2,108 were approved, while in 2020, a total of 2,033 applicants were granted permission out of 2,895. In 2019, the BMC recorded 3,727 applications, with 2,668 receiving approval, and in 2018, out of 3,524 applications, 2,387 were granted.
Lalbaug Cha Raja at Lalbaug in Mumbai.(Express Photo by Pradip Das)
Civic officials attribute this surge in applications to several factors, including the BMC’s implementation of a single-window system for granting permission two years ago. This streamlined process has eliminated the need for organisers to navigate multiple departments.
The Ganesh Utsav Mandal in Nikadwadi Lane Girgaon. (Express Photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)
Ramakant Biradar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (DMC), said, “Organisers are no longer required to run around different civic departments seeking permission. This has boosted enthusiasm, resulting in a higher number of applications.”
Naresh Dahibhavkar, president of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS), mentioned that the number of approved mandals could increase further as the permission process is still on.
“2022 marked the first unrestricted celebration since the pandemic began, but many organisations were reeling under losses incurred during the Covid pandemic. This year, most have recovered, which has led to the increased number of applications,” Dahibhavkar said.
The BMC has also set up 216 artificial lakes this year to facilitate the immersion of Ganesh idols. They are inflatable tubes filled with water. Civic officials said that these lakes will allow hassle-free immersion of idols and will also prevent the water bodies from getting polluted.
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