Expect a sea of devotees on Mumbai streets today

At Deepak Patil’s residence in Chira Bazaar, instead of the usual five family members, there will be 70 today. Apart from his family and friends, a few members from the locality too will be joining them for the Ganpati visarjan.

No other deity in the city has such a magnetic pull as Ganpati does. “The idea is to ensure that he has a good farewell and that is why we too join in. Although it is not our Ganpati, we give him a farewell like it belongs to us. After all he fulfills all our wishes and removes all obstacles of our lives,” said Rohit Shinde from the locality who will be joining Patils for the Visarjan till Girgaum Chowpatty.

To ensure that the Lord is given the prime of the place, till the end the Patils carry him on their heads. On the way, drums and jingles, from people like Rohit and dance form others will ensure that the visarjan is eventful. For many others like Lata Shah, a resident of Lamington Road, they just come to revere, gaze and offer their last prayers by standing on the streets and see him pass by.
“I normally go to a Ganpati mandal near Grant Road but since it is the last day, standing on the road at a safe corner helps us see many Ganpatis that pass by and offer our last prayers to the prominent Ganpatis as well. Some are very beautiful and you just like to look at them,” she said. 

Talking of the big Ganpatis the Lalbaug cha Raja will be leaving at 10am on Saturday morning.

“The last one is done by the president of the mandal. We when move from the place and reach Girgaum only by the next day,” said Satish Khankar, member of the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal.

Lalbaugcha Raja Ganpati is known to move at a snails pace for the lakhs of devotees who gather to see it pass by.