Mumbai welcomes Lord Ganesha as 11-day festival begins

Chants of “Ganpati Bappa Morya” reverberated across Mumbai on Monday as Ganesha idols were brought into homes and community pandals, marking the beginning of the city’s 11-day Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.

The festival commenced with Pran Pratishtha ceremonies, followed by pujas, aartis and the chanting of mantras by families and neighbourhood groups. The celebrations will conclude on Anant Chaturdashi on 25th September, when the idols will be taken in large processions for immersion at beaches and other designated sites.

Although prominent mandals had installed their towering idols over the past few weeks, households and smaller community groups continued bringing their idols home on Sunday night. The processions were accompanied by devotional slogans, music and gulal.

Lalbaug, Parel, Girgaon, Andheri, Chembur and Fort were illuminated with colourful displays as pandals prepared to receive devotees. Markets in Dadar, Crawford Market and Lohar Chawl also witnessed heavy footfall as residents purchased decorations, garlands, sweets and ceremonial items.

Lalbaug remained one of the main centres of the festivities, with large crowds expected at prominent pandals such as Lalbaugcha Raja, Chinchpokli, Ganesh Gully and Tejukaya.

In Matunga, the GSB Seva Mandal once again decorated its idol with gold ornaments and secured a multi-crore insurance policy covering the valuable offerings. Long queues formed as devotees gathered to attend its elaborate daily rituals.

Other major attractions include the Sahyadri Mandal in Tilak Nagar, the Fort Vibhag Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal in south Mumbai, the Azad Nagar Sarvajanik Utsav Samitee in Andheri and the Khetwadi Ganpati mandals in Girgaon.

The celebrations began against the backdrop of three idol-collapse incidents reported in Bhuleshwar, Kurla and Malad over the past few days. Two people were killed in the Bhuleshwar incident, while no injuries were reported in Kurla or Malad.

In Malad, a 17-foot idol toppled on Kachpada Road on Sunday after a crane reportedly lost its balance.

Mumbai Police have deployed more than 16,800 personnel, including senior officers and quick-response teams, to maintain security during the festival.

Additional personnel will be stationed across the city on immersion days to regulate crowds and traffic. Police have urged residents to remain cautious in congested areas and cooperate with officers on duty.