'Ganpati bappa' coming, with 500 tonnes of modak

With just about a fortnight to go before Mumbai’s biggest festival, Ganeshotsav, begins, the city of dreams has already started preparations to welcome Ganapati bappa.

Ganapati, the god of knowledge, is also known for his appetite and guess what? His devotees also share his fondness for his favourite, modaks.

According to experts, Mumbai eats as much as 500 tonnes of mawa modaks during the ten-day festival, which starts from September 1.

One of the oldest manufacturers of the mawa modaks, which are made of milk, sugar and other ingredients, is Panshikar Mithai Kendra opposite Dadar station, the market leader for over eight decades. “My shop has a demand of 3.5 to 4tonnes of mawa modaks during Ganesh festival. There are 84 modaks in one kilo,” said Sanjay Panshikar, owner.

He further added that this year, putting together the major manufacturers of mawa modaks, the city is looking at a whopping 500 tonnes of modaks altogether.

Most of the mawa, the main ingredient in the modaks, comes from Gujarat. “The best mawa is from Gujarat,” says JC Mehta of Mehta and associates, a Malad-based distributor of mawa.

According to PR Uttarwar, joint commissioner of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), the food inspectors will start a campaign from Tuesday to keep watch on the huge quantity of mawa. “The food inspectors will be keeping a watch on all the major wholesalers, milk product manufacturers and cold storages, where the mawa is stored,” said Uttarwar.