MiD DAY takes you on a round of the Ganapatis in the lanes and by-lanes of the city as it celebrates its favourite festival

There is a healthy competition between Ganesh mandals in the city to decorate the floats during visarjan. Just as the mandals spend lakhs to decorate their pandals, they also spend liberally on decorating their floats.

The procession starts from Mahatma Phule Mandai, takes the Laxmi Road and ends at Sambhaji Bridge.
Today we profile two mandals, the oldest in the city. Ganeshotsav in the city is completing 116 years and the idea is to start the immersion in time and end it in time.

Akhil Mandai Mandal


Towering attraction: The 14-feet- tall elephant made of fibreglass that will
lead the immersion procession of Akhil Mandai Mandal. Pic/Vivek Sabnis

Established in 1894, this mandal is of great historical significance. It started its Sarvajanik mandal inspired by Lokmanya Tilak who started Ganeshotsav in 1893.

Some vegetable vendors came together and started the Mandai Mitra Mandal. Nathuram Kachi Dongare, Tatyasaheb Gavane, Namdevrao Patil and Parshuram Bhor joined hands to bring people of all caste, creed and religion together. "Tilak gave a public speech before the Mandai Ganapati in 1894," Dr M P Mangudkar said.u00a0

The Ganapati Sharada idols together on a zoola (swing) are the first eco-friendly idol made with paper pulp and black soil. "The idol is light-weight and can be shifted easily from oneu00a0 place to another," said Bhola Vanjale, executive president of the mandal. "The idol is a replica of the sculpture of Ganapati-Sharada at the Tulja Bhavani temple in Sholapur."

The puja and aarti is done three times a day by the priest Chandrakant Pathak.The mandal is now busy with the immersion procession and has made a Gajrath (chariot with elephants), an idea that was conceived by set designer Roopesh Panchal. He is busy creating a chariot in golden colour and decorated with arches. It will be decorated with flower and electric lights.

Above all, a 14-feet high elephant made of fibreglass will be the prime attraction in the procession. The fibreglass elephant was made by Nashik-based sculptor Kamble, who created it in Ahmednagar.

"We are using it exclusively for the Mandai Mandal,"u00a0 said Vishal Gunda. "Two more such fiber elephants were donated by Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackery to Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai," said Gunda.u00a0

u00a0Anna Thorat, president of the mandal said: "Our mandal are involved in social activities. We established Zunka Bhakar Kendras and are now creating swine flu awareness by distributing leaflets in the city.

We installed the Ganapati for the poor people in the city. Mandai is the central place and people of all caste, creed and religion worship our idol from the bottom of their heart
-- Tatyasaheb Thorat, Guide of the Mandal

Akhil Mandai Mandal has a legacy and strong faith. This is one of the 'navsacha Ganapati' that fulfils the wishes of devotees
-- Anand Saraf, Local resident and research scholar on Ganeshotsav in the city

Akhil Hatti Ganapati Mandal


faith on the move: Replica of Vyankatesh temple for the immersion.
Pic/Vivek Sabnis

The 116-year-old mandal earlier known as Hatticha Ganapati has now started their own website for devotees scattered all over.

For the immersion procession they are making a replica of Vyankateshu00a0 Mandir with fibreglass. The float with the temple is made by Sagar Bhavsar, Anant Bhagat, Kiran Bhagat and Yashwant Bhuvad. The procession will start from Jedhe Chowk at Swargate on September 22, said Shyam Mankar, the president of the mandal. "We try to display scenes based on Hindu mythology," Mandkar said.

Hatti Ganapati sits on the back of an elephant and killing a crocodile, which is trying to grab the leg of the elephant.

"This is probably the only deity sitting on an elephant in the city and even in Maharahstra," said Mankar.
The mandal believes in women's empowerment, and the first puja of the Ganapati was performed by MLA Vandana Chavan on the first day of the festival.

The mandal has given a small shop to the visually impaired. They sell eatables to the devotees who visit the Ganapati.

Health check-ups and distributing notebooks for needy school children are the other activities of the mandal.