Ganeshotsav 2024: Pandal hopping in Matunga

Get ready to pandalhop your way across Matunga East This neighbourhood is high on devotion but also has ties with the elephant After all Matunga gets its name from Matang aka elephant and came to be called so as it is believed that this is where the elephant stables were situated in the 13thcentury Kingdom of MahikawatiNo wonder the Elephant God holds a special place in this neighbourhood and receives a warm welcome each year Many ganeshotsav mandals set up pandals within the short radius making it easier to meander around on foot And you can walk into an Udipi for a quick bite or some kaapi if you are tired of queues The best time to go pandal hopping is by evening once they are lit upIf you want to avoid crowds head over post dinner between 9 to 11 pm Herersquos where we recommend you stop this year But plan your pandalhopping well as these Ganpatis head for visarjan to Girgaum Chowpatty on the fifth day of the festivalBhandarkar RoadThe Bhandarkar Road Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samiti believes in giving back This mandal conducts blood donation drives cultural programmes and daily dinners that are open to all It also returns the devotees any offerings of ornaments once the festival is over While the road becomes a traffic nightmare the pandalrsquos idol sits on a throne and is always 11 feet tall The key attraction is the idolrsquos silver hand which holds a silver modak Priests are invited all the way from Coimbatore and prayers are carried right across the Asthika Samaj Kochu Guruvayoor Sree Ram Mandir which is synonymous with MatungagtgtgtWHERE Bhandarkar road opposite the Asthika Samaj Kochu Guruvayoor Sree Ram MandirTejukaya ParkYou might already know the beautiful red and green Art Deco building if you frequent Matunga East But the societyrsquos Ganesh pandal is equally opulent and not to be confused with the Tejukaya Ganpati in Lalbaug The main feature is a clock tower at the gate and it leads up to the idol In previous years decoration has featured a trail of water fountains gtgtgtTejukaya Park Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Rd Kings CircleGSB Seva MandalPerhaps the most popular pandal in the area the GSB Gowd Saraswat Brahmin Seva Mandal Ganpati is considered the richest in Mumbai Devotees offer their body weight in rice flour ghee sugar coconut and gold too Itrsquos one of the most OTT pandals in Mumbai as the idol itself is made with over 60 kg gold So much so that the mandal has secured a recordbreaking insurance of R40058 crore this year The nonprofit organisation will be celebrating the fiveday festival for the 70th year this year So expect it to be mammothsizedgtgtgtWHERE Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Rd near SNDT Womenrsquos College Matunga EastVidyarthyancha RajaBappa takes up space for a few days at the famous Ruia College naka where students snack and while away time Itrsquos set up by the Ruia Naka Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal founded in 978 by students and former students of Ruia and Poddar College They really love their love naka Every year students past and present play host to Bappa who is in charge of academic success The decor is usually understated elegant ecofriendly and carries a reflective theme or social message Last year the social message aimed at improving parentchild relationshipsgtgtgtWHERE Footpath across Ramnarain Ruia CollegeFlower marketIn the muchpopular phool gully a pandal is erected right where the market begins if you walk down from Kingrsquos Circle As itrsquos a pandal cared for by the flower market vendors naturally the decor is blooming But whatrsquos exciting is that late every night once the crowd dwindles the vendors change the decor At times you will find peacocks traced with flowers or a floral outline of Balaji No matter what day you visit the decor is fresh and fragrantgtgtgtWHERE Bhandarkar Road near Matunga post office