Planning to explore some of the popular Ganesh murti in Mumbai in 2024?
Known as the Maximum City, Mumbai has always been the City of Dreams attracting people from all over India. However, while the city is known for its fast-paced lifestyle, Mumbaikars do take pride in celebrating festivals with joy and pride.
Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai is all about worshipping Lord Ganesh and seeking His blessings and Mumbai leaves no stone unturned. This is one of the biggest festivals in Mumbai and one of the main festivals in Maharashtra. Hence, during this time of the year, one can see Ganesh pandals popping up all over the city.
The Ganesh Chaturthi festival is an annual ten-day festival. The first day marks the installation of Lord Ganesh’s idols while the last day called Anant Chaturdashi is for the immersion of the idols.
The festival celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha who is the God of New Beginnings and the Remover of Obstacles. For this, Ganesha clay idols are installed privately in homes and publicly in elaborate pandals.
On average 80,000 Ganesh idols in Mumbai are established in homes and pandals combined as per the 2023 statistics by BMC. This reflects the level of celebration and affection that the people of Mumbai have for Lord Ganesha.
However, visiting all Mumbai Ganesh idols is almost impossible considering the sheer number of Ganpati pandals in Mumbai, the limited 10-day period and queues at many of these top Ganpati mandals in Mumbai.
Installation of Ganesh Murti in Mumbai: The Origins
To be clear, there is no exact date that marks the beginning of this festival. However, there are historical records that indicate that the great Maratha ruler, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj promoted and celebrated the festival from 1630 to 1680.
Subsequently, Lord Ganesha became the family deity of the Peshwas. However, after the end of the Peshwa rule, this festival turned into a family affair from 1818 to 1892. During this time, Ganesha idols were installed in homes.
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 (Sepoy Mutiny) had already struck fear into the hearts of the British East India Company. To avoid any further damage, the British East India Company passed a series of ordinances banning public assemblies of a social and political nature.
One of the eminent freedom fighters, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, commonly known as Lokmanya gained popularity by then. In 1892, Bhausaheb Laxman Javale, installed the first sarvajanik (public) Ganesh idol in Pune marking the first Ganeshotsav in India.
Tilak applauded this act in his newspaper Kesari. However, it also gave him a way to bypass the ban passed by the British. In 1893, Tilak called for the public celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi to bring the masses together. The festival was further used for political and intellectual discourse, plays and concerts and poetry recitals.
A century later, Ganesh Chaturthi has transformed into one of the main festivals of Mumbai and Pune. Apart from Mumbai and Pune, you can find people installing Ganesh idols in various other parts of India.
If you are in Pune during the festival period you can also enjoy visiting some of the popular Ganesh pandals in Pune where you can pray to Ganesh murti in Pune.
In this post, we will focus on the 7 famous Ganpati pandals in Mumbai that you should visit when you are in the city during the festivities.
Lalbaug Cha Raja (The King of Lalbaug)
Lalbaug Cha Raja Ganesh murti needs no introduction.
Established in 1934 at the Lalbaug Market, this remains one of the most beloved Ganpati pandals in Mumbai. Hence, you will always find immensely long queues that go a mile long.
This Ganesha idol is also known as Navasacha Ganpati (The One who fulfils) and hence it receives the maximum affection. On an estimate, around one million people visit this pandal during the ten-day festival.
The locality has always been known for its bustling markets and textile mills. It is one of the oldest Ganpati mandals in Mumbai and a symbol of hope and faith. This Ganesh idol is known for its majestic appearance with a seating posture.
Over many decades, Lalbaug Cha Raja has transformed into a cultural icon and is extensively covered by local and national media. This also attracts celebrities, movie stars, politicians and prominent personalities who visit the pandal to seek blessings further enhancing its popularity.
Mumbai Cha Raja (King of Mumbai)
Located in Ganesh Galli, Mumbai Cha Raja is the oldest Ganesh mandal in Mumbai. Established in 1928, this Ganesh murti in Mumbai is not far from the iconic Lalbaug Cha Raja. While in terms of popularity, it does lag behind it still receives a lot of devotees making it one of the famous Ganpati pandals in Mumbai.
The Mandal was organized by the residents to create a sense of community and collective enthusiasm. The Ganesh idol here has a traditional design and aesthetic appeal combined with elegant decorations. The mandal is also active in various social welfare and community activities.
Khetwadi Cha Ganraj (The King of Khetwadi)
The area of Khetwadi in Grant Road East has 14 lanes, each lane bringing its own Ganesh idol. However, it is the 12th Lane idol which takes the title of Khetwadi Cha Ganraj.
It would be hard to ignore Khetwadi Cha Raja if we were talking about the top Ganpati pandals in Mumbai. Established in 1959 Khetwadicha Ganraj Ganesh Murti in Mumbai gained popularity during the early 2000s.
It was during this time that the Mandal came up with the tallest Ganesh idol (40 feet) that dwarfed all others that year. If you are keen on visiting the tallest Ganpati in Mumbai you should visit this Ganesh murti in Mumbai.
The Mandal has a penchant for grand decorations and tall idols in various forms and shapes that fascinate your imagination. If you love the grand and royal decor, this mandal must be on your list.
While you are visiting various Ganesh pandals Why Not Try These Amazing 23 Things to do in Mumbai
G.S.B. Seva Ganesh Mandal
Welcome to the richest Ganpati in Mumbai. The G.S.B. Seva Ganesh murti in Mumbai is probably one of the famous idols that you should not miss. Established in 1955, it was started by the Gowd Saraswat Brahman (GSB) community of Karnataka. Hence, you should visit the GSB Ganpati once in your lifetime.
While this might not be one of the tallest Ganesh murti of Mumbai it certainly has gained a lot of respect and devotion. The best part about this Ganesha idol is that it is eco-friendly.
The initial Ganesh idols were only 14 inches in size. However, over the years, the number of devotees has grown allowing the mandal to augment the celebrations. This year GSB Seva Mandal gets insurance worth Rs. 400 crore (USD 48 million) making it one of the most expensive pandals in Mumbai.
Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani
Established in 1920, Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani is among the oldest Ganesh mandals in Mumbai. The Chinchpokli Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal was started by a group of 20-25 young men. Initially, the idols installed there were only 2-3 feet in height. However, things have changed today considering the fanfare it has.
This Ganesh murti in Mumbai has a huge number of devotees today. Being close to Lalbaug Cha Raja and Mumbai Cha Raja it receives a good number of visitors throughout the ten-day celebrations. One of the striking features of this Ganesh idol is the artistic themes incorporated to make it look different.
However, make sure that you focus on various tips for pandal hopping in Mumbai during Ganesh Chaturthi to help you make the most of your experience. Also, make sure that you stay hydrated during your trip.
Girgaon Cha Raja (King of Girgaon)
When talking of Mumbai Ganesh mandals you have to explore the Girgaon Cha Raja. Originally, this mandal is known as Nikadwari Lane Sarvajanik Shree Ganeshotsav Mandal. This remains one of the simplest Ganesh murti in Mumbai that you should not miss.
The most striking quality of this Mandal is its simplicity. While most of the mandals focus on elaborate themes and sprawling decorations this one doesn’t. Instead, the focus is entirely on Lord Ganesh’s divinity and traditional Marathi culture.
Girgaon Cha Raja has won Green Ganesha and Eco-friendly Ganesha awards in the year 2011. The idol is made of pure Shadu-manti (traditional clay) which allows it to be environment friendly. Hence, if you are looking for an authentic Ganesh Chaturthi experience, this is one of the must-see Ganesh pandals in Mumbai.
Andheri Cha Raja (King of Andheri)
One of the must-see Ganesh pandals in Mumbai suburbs is the Andheri Cha Raja. If you are in the western suburbs and have limited time you can visit this one for sure. Over the past few years, this Ganesh murti in Mumbai has gained a lot of devotees and has become one of the most popular ones you should not miss.
Established in 1966, this famous Ganpati mandal in Mumbai can provide you with an experience similar to the ones in the city. Here you can seek the blessings of Bappa and avoid long queues to save time as well.
Conclusion
While these are some of the top Ganesh pandals in Mumbai you will also find more like Tardeo Cha Icchapurti, Dongri Cha Raja and many other pandals that you can explore during the ten-day celebrations.
However, it is important to realize that the essence of Ganesh Chaturthi lies in its vibrant spirit, devotional fervour, and the joy it brings to people. It is a time of coming together, celebrating life, and invoking the blessings of Lord Ganesha for peace, prosperity, and the removal of obstacles.
Hence, even if you are unable to explore all the pandals you can still focus on one Ganesh murti in Mumbai to seek blessings this year.
4 comments
That is an interesting way to explore an area.
Or the city.
This is a marvelous post, Sharukh. I enjoyed reading the details and seeing all the statues — they’re so colorful. I’ve loved the Ganesha story ever since I ran into a saying “Don’t tell Ganesha how big your problem is. Tell the problem how big your Ganesha is!”
Hugs to you and Sarah.
Glad that you liked the post, Teagan. There are so many mythological stories of Lord Ganesha, but the story you mentioned is a good one. Hugs. 🙂