Maharashtra: Amid Ganesh Chaturthi's fever, several pandals across Maharashtra have been decked up in themes varying from Chandrayaan-themed pandal to a temple decorated with coins and notes worth Rs 2.5 crore. One example is where a Ganesh Pandal in Bhiwandi was decorated with a 125-foot replica of Assam's Shri Maha Mrityunjaya temple.
Dhamankar Naka Mitra Mandal of Bhiwandi city has been organizing a grand Ganeshotsav every year to promote the spirit of national unity and inter-religious harmony. This time, Dhamankar Naka Mitra Mandal has built a 125-foot-high grand scene of the divine Shri Mahamrityunjaya Temple located in Nagaon, Assam state, using eco-friendly materials.
Hundreds of artisans from Orissa worked hard for the last month to build this grand temple. Thousands of bamboo and colorful clothes have been used for the construction of the temple and the Ganesh Mandap were beautifully decorated with flower vases. Meanwhile, several blood donation camps, eye care and cataract surgery camps have been organized to encourage other public Ganeshotsav mandals of the city. Swabhiman Shri Ganesh Darshan competition has also been arranged.
At present, video reels on social media are attracting everyone. In such a situation, to further the artistic qualities of the youth, a competition has also been organized for those making creative reel videos during Ganeshotsav. The board gave a prize of Rs 2 lakh 21 thousand for this competition. Apart from Dhamankar Naka Mitra Mandal President Santosh Shetty, more than 300 workers work hard to celebrate Ganeshotsav keeping in mind the safety of Ganesh devotees.
In a similar way, a man seated 'Bappa' in a metro rail coach for his home temple. As an ode to the city's public transport system, Varia's "Bappa" is seated comfortably in a miniature metro rail coach. "The model is made using newspaper, sunboard and paper straws, and both the idol and display are eco-friendly," said 26-year-old Rahul Varia, the man behind the metro-themed Ganapati. Varia has been creating decorations for the festival since 2012. He built a display based on the local trains of Mumbai in 2021 and a miniature of a BEST double-decker bus last year. This year the 10-day festival began on September 19.
ALSO READ | Ganesh Chaturthi: Mumbai's Lalbaugcha Raja receives over Rs 1.02 crore in donation in two days
ALSO READ | Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: Shah Rukh Khan seeks blessings at Lalbagucha Raja | See pictures
