This Ganeshotsav: Akshardham darshan, sans trip to Delhi

150 artisans having worked for 45 days to copy the grand temple-complex in the nation's capital, the pandal built by Chembur's Sahyadri Ganesh mandal at Tilak Nagar is sure to be a visual treat

Make sure you give the pandal built by Chembur's Sahyadri Ganesh mandal a prominent place in your darshan itinerary this year.
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The replica of the Akshardham temple
made by Sahyadri Krida Mandal

The artisans roped in by the mandal have accomplished a rare feat for their Ganeshotsav celebrations at the Tilak Nagar community hall, refashioning a replica of Akshardham in Delhi.

The air-conditioned hall will be thrown open to devotees seeking darshan today.u00a0The magnificent temple was recreated under the aegis of art director Shabana Khanam, the entire project costing the mandal Rs 50 lakh.
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The recreation is replete with the complex minutiae of Hindu culture and architecture that is on display at the original temple in Delhi, its walls adorned with intricately carved sculptures of Hindu deities.
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The model is the fruit of the labour of love of 150 skilled artisans hailing from cities like Kolkata, Baroda and Delhi, who worked tirelessly for one-and-a-half months to make their ambitious plans a tangible reality.

"It is difficult for members of the middle classes to travel to Delhi to see the marvellous temple complex. In order to give them a visual and spiritual treat, we decided to build its replica," said Mangesh Adhatrao, committee member of the mandal.

He added, "Every year, the Tilak Nagar hall is transformed into a grand abode for Lord Ganpati. As is customary, we have made arrangements for prasad to be distributed to all the devotees. We also receive donations from patrons."

"We have been making plans for this pandal for two months, gathering clay, POP, dye and fibre. We sent a team of our artisans to Delhi, where they took photographs and made sketches of the temple, based on which the replica was crafted," said Khanam, the art director appointed by the mandal.