Siddhivinayak takes a break

Original idol taken out for sindoor lepan ritual, will be back on Monday

MUMBAI: If you’re planning to visit the Siddhivinayak Temple, be warned that the original idol of lord Ganesha will not be available for darshan till Monday.

The main idol kept inside the garbha griha or sanctum sanctorum is being repainted to restore its colour and shine. The five-day ritual, which is known as ‘sindoor lepan’, requires skilled hands.

Chief executive officer of the temple, Hanumant Jagtap said, “Devotees are allowed into the temple but they will not get a glimpse of the original idol.”  A golden idol along with a huge framed picture of the original has been placed to enable people to offer prayers.

But most visitors are naturally let down. On Friday, a group from Delhi was visiting the temple and they were disappointed to find the idol missing. “It’s my bad luck. I am returning to Delhi tomorrow. I wish I’d known about the ritual. Hope I get to meet the lord during my next trip,” said Rani Sharma (36), a computer professional.

Several Mumbaikars too got curious about the missing idol. “I was wondering why there were no crowds in the temple today. The image of the idol is so deeply ingrained that I can’t imagine having to go without meeting Ganesha,” said Mayura Joshi (24).

The flower vendors lined up nearby tried to elbow out each other in a bid to net the few customers who made it. “During the sindoor lepan sale drops by almost 25%,” said one vendor.