Ganesh Visarjan ends Mumbai security nightmare

One of the biggest mass celebrations in Asia–the Ganesh Visarjan-concluded late into Saturday night in Mumbai and most of the state across Maharashtra, ending the security nightmare of police agencies in the state which has witnessed several terror related incidents in the past. 

 

Huge Ganesh idols from several pandals (localities or groups) were decorated in vibrant colours and taken in a procession to the various beaches across Mumbai for immersion.

 

Police sources informed The Sunday Indian that ‘unmanned aerial camera devices’ were constantly monitoring crowded locations to check on the security. Maharashtra Police personnel could be seen deployed at several locations across the city in large numbers throughout the day and night. Bomb detection and disposal squads were also kept in standby along with fire engines across the city.

 

Almost two to three months prior to Ganesh Chaturthi, artistic plaster of paris (originally clay) models of Lord Ganesha are made for sale by specially skilled artisans across Maharashtra. They are beautifully decorated & depict Lord Ganesh in various poses. The size of these statues may vary from 3/4 of an inch to over 70 feet.

 

Even though the exact origin of the festival is still unknown, it’s believed that in 1893, Indian freedom fighter and social reformer Lokmanya Tilak transformed the annual domestic festival into a large, well-organized public event, and recognized the wide appeal of the deity Ganesh as "the god for everybody", and popularized Ganesh Chaturthi as a national festival in order "to bridge the gap between Brahmins and 'non-Brahmins' and find a context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them", and generate nationalistic fervor among people in Maharashtra against the British colonial rule. The festival has since been a symbol of unity.

 

Ganesh Chaturthi starts with the installation of these Ganesh statues in colorfully decorated homes and specially erected temporary structures mandapas (pandals) in every locality. The pandals are erected by the people or a specific society or locality or group by collecting monetary contributions. The pandals are decorated specially for the festival, either by using decorative items like flower garlands, lights, etc. or are theme based decorations, which depict religious themes or current events.

 

Public celebrations of the festival are hugely popular, with local communities (mandalas) vying with each other to put up the biggest statue & the best pandal. The festival is also the time for cultural activities like singing and theater performances, orchestra and community activities like free medical checkup, blood donation camps, and charity for the poor.

 

At the roadside procession pandals, on the final immersion day, political parties could be seen in control of the situation distributing free Modaks (sweats) and Vada Pav (local staple snack). While the Congress dominated most of the massive pandals in Andheri area, Dadar saw a strong emergence of cadre of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), a relatively new political party in the state. Shiv Sena was equivocally seen part of the celebrations. 

 

Interestingly, while the Congress managed to steal the show in Andheri with the presence of their Member of Parliament Priya Dutt, daughter of actor late Sunil Dutt, MNS on the other hand made an impact with the large presence of crowd in traditional Marathi attire performing on drumbeats.

 

Similar scenes could be witnessed across South Mumbai. The stronghold area of underworld don Arun Gawli had his large posters all over with newly formed corporater daughter Geeta Gawli. Arun Gawli in August this year was convicted to life sentence for murdering a Shiv Sena politician. Unlike before, this year western music too dominated the elite South Mumbai areas. From Hotel California to Shakira, the music had left no boundaries. The drumbeats only added to the madness of the roadside local dancers, for whom these days are a sense of freedom and excitement. 

 

While the celebrations which have been more of a cultural tradition in Maharashtra rather than holding a religious significance, were witnessed in cultural patriotism, the new age drumbeats and Digital Jockeys with latest Bollywood music too was visible inviting attention of the youth. 

 

However, The Sunday Indian spotted illegal distribution of liquor at several areas in police presence. Most of the city police for busy with the immersion of procession ‘bandobast’. 

 

The controversial Mumbai cop Assistant Commissioner Police (ACP) Vasant Dhoble confirmed to The Sunday Indian in an exclusive meeting that even his raids will be relaxed for a certain time period till the Ganesh Visarjan ends. “The force is busy with security. We’ll resume work to nab people indulging in illegal activities again”, he said.

 

The police in the city, which got its new Police Chief not so long ago after a police-protesters clash at Azad Maidan, can breathe easy for now with the end of the Ganesh Visarjan festival this year.