Ganeshotsav 2026: Mumbai mandals spend crores on decorations, manage lakhs of devotees

Mumbais prominent Ganesh mandals are spending crores of rupees on this years Ganeshotsav 2026 with budgets covering pandal construction decorations security crowd management and facilities for lakhs of devoteesThe Ganesh festival began across Mumbai on Monday amid traditional celebrations With inflation pushing up the cost of materials and services several mandals have increased their budgets this yearAccording to the ANI the Chinchpokli Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal which organises the popular Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani has set an overall budget of around Rs 2 crore this yearAccording to treasurer Atul Kerkar rising costs could push the final expenditure to around Rs 225 croreThe mandal is celebrating its 107th year since its establishment in 1920Kerkar said inflation has resulted in the festival budget increasing every year The pandal alone is expected to cost around Rs 50 lakh the news agency reportedWATCH Mumbai On Ganeshotsav 2026 Atul Kerkar Treasurer at Chinchpokli Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal says This is our 107th year Our Mandal was established in 1920 Our total budget is around Rs 2 crore and due to inflation that has been rising over the years our budgethellip pictwittercombFuf0qYXrhmdash ANI ANI September 14 2026Corporate sponsorshipsCorporate advertisements and sponsorships are among the key sources of funding for the Ganeshotsav celebrationsAccording to the ANI Kerkar said several companies support the mandal every year and noted that the Adani Group is among the sponsors this year However he did not disclose the total amount collected through advertisementsThe mandal also follows a longstanding tradition of not putting a price on its Ganesh idolNo price put on Chintamani idolThe Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani idol is crafted by sculptor Siddhesh DighaKerkar said the mandal does not assign a monetary value to the idol Instead the sculptor receives an annual honorarium or dakshina in keeping with the committees traditionGanesh Gully focuses on public welfareThe Lalbaug Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal which organises Mumbaicha Raja at Ganesh Gully also spends a significant portion of its advertising collections on public welfare and arrangements for devotees as per the ANIPresident Kiran Tawde said around 80 to 85 per cent of the total advertising collection is spent directly on welfare initiatives and facilities as per the ANIThese include blood donation camps healthcare programmes and arrangements for devotees visiting the mandalGanesh Gully has been recreating famous Indian temples as part of its festival decorations for the past 25 yearsThis year the mandal has created a decorative theme inspired by the Chintpurni temple associated with the Vaishnav traditionThe elaborate decorations are expected to attract large numbers of visitors during the festivalThousands of volunteers deployed for securityWith lakhs of devotees expected to visit the citys major mandals crowd management and security remain a major part of the Ganesh festival arrangementsAt Chinchpokli private security agencies have been hired and separate entry and exit routes have been created across three connecting lanesAt Ganesh Gully around 6000 volunteers have been deployed in shifts alongside police personnel Home Guards and private security guards following Mumbai Police guidelines reported the ANIMore than 100 CCTV cameras have also been installed to monitor the areaKerkar said between 1 lakh and 107 lakh devotees are expected to visit the Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani pandal for darshanWith major Ganesh mandals attracting large crowds throughout the 10day festival organisers are focusing on balancing elaborate celebrations with public safety and crowd managementwith ANI inputs