How hundreds of chefs, helpers, volunteers at Mumbai’s Ganesh pandals tirelessly dish out packed prasad, lavish satvik bhogs on banana leaves
GSB Matunga: Devotees seated for annadaan on banana leaves. Pics/Aditi Alurkar
While Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai is usually associated with fast-moving queues, a few Ganpati mandals have carved a legacy of soothing prasad meals alongside the festivities. Nestled in Matunga, the Gowd Saraswati Brahmins (GSB) Seva Mandal’s open kitchen is one such example. Known for its iconic satvik bhog served on banana leaves, the mandal caters to nearly 30,000 devotees every afternoon for five days, until visarjan.
Rajiv Kamat
While the mandal also offers breakfast and dinner, lunch is the highlight. Cooked only on earthen stoves, without onion or garlic, the aromatic spread is a taste of home for Mumbai’s GSB community. The kitchen opens as early as 4 am and is run by expert chefs who travel specially from Karwar. A typical meal includes rice, rassam, bhaji, and sweets.
GSB Wadala: Kitchen staff prepare festive meals
“I have been visiting the temple on Ganesh Chaturthi since I was born,” said Jaya Hegde, a devotee. “The food tastes the same every single year. It manages to be both delicious and pious.” “The food is very simple, but somehow it tastes a hundred times better here. Even something like breakfast poha becomes a memorable dish,” added volunteer Divya Shenoy.
The kitchen operation is a massive undertaking; nearly 600 chefs, helpers, managers, and volunteers work together. Rajiv Kamat, who has lived in the USA for 37 years, heads the team. “I fly down every year to help with planning and festivities. Our community members from Singapore, New Zealand, and other countries also join in for sevadaan,” he said.
GSB Wadala: Ganesh devotees partake in annadaan. Pics/Aditi Alurkar
By noon, the annadaan begins and continues until the food runs out or rituals resume. At Wadala’s Ram Mandir, the GSB Sarvajanik Ganeshotsava Samiti runs a similar open kitchen. Here, the annadaan goes on for 11 days, across three meals, feeding over 10,000 devotees in each sitting. The kitchen is manned by 20 to 25 cooks from the Karwar and Kinnar regions of Karnataka.
Lalbaugcha Raja: Prasad is distributed outside the pandal
Each banana leaf is filled with seven to eight specialities and a sweet unique to the region. “The beauty of these kitchens is how people from all walks of life run them together. Even CEOs and CTOs take part in shramadaan, serving food to devotees,” said volunteer Ramkrishna Bhat. The mandal has a 70-year-old tradition of hosting the open kitchen.
Divya Shenoy, volunteer
In contrast, Parel’s Ganesh Galli mandals offer more modest prasad due to space constraints and heavy footfall. Local confectioners pack and deliver fresh laddoos every morning. At Mumbaicha Raja, around 2000 devotees take home prasad each day at a token cost of Rs 30. “Annadaan is tough in Ganesh Galli, but our prasad is strictly monitored. Last year, we distributed nearly 20,000 boondi laddoos,” said mandal head Swapnil Parab. The neighbouring Lalbaugcha Raja follows a similar model, distributing pre-packaged laddoos free of cost inside and outside the temple.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
