This year, Ganpati devotees in Surat will be able to see the famous ‘Chinchpoklicha Chintamani’ in their city. The Sahara Darwajacha Maharaja Yuvak Mandal in Surat decided to bring a similar idol with the face of the Chinchpokli idol for locals devoted to it, and transported the 18-feet-high Ganesh murti by road in less than 48 hours beginning last Saturday.

Chinchpoklicha Chintamani is the idol of one of Mumbai’s oldest sarvajanik Ganesh mandals that was established in 1920. The Surat Mandal officials told mid-day that the idol has the same — signature — face as the ‘Chinchpoklicha Chintamani’ created by renowned idol maker Reshma Khatu, with a little change in the body. Khatu has been making the idol every year. The idol, which stands at a height of 18 feet and reaches 22 feet with a trolley, was transported on a trailer by the Mandal karyakarta from Vijay Khatu’s Studio in Lalbaug, Mumbai.