34 CCTVs to secure city's richest Ganpati

This Ganeshotsava, the GSB Seva Mandal at Matunga will be installing a total of 34 CCTV cameras to be constantly monitored by the Matunga police.
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Satish Naik, a committee member from GSB Seva Mandal said, "We covered the idol, the entrance and the area where the crowd collects for darshan under the CCTVs' ambit.
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Last year, the Matunga police was given the task of monitoring the footage and looking after the security."

The GSB's Ganpati is one of the richest in the city and has become a trendsetter in the security department. Naik said, "The cost of the cameras will be borne by a devotee who does the security setup as seva.

He has a CCTV business. We will have hi-tech cameras, wired as well as wireless, with Internet connectivity so it is easier for the police to view the footage on laptops as well."

The GSB's mandap construction will be completed by August 23 and the CCTVs will all be installed by August 24.
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The GSB Ganpati, made of soft clay, last year had Rs 15 crore worth of ornaments adorned on it. "People offer jewellery and ornaments only when the sthapana is done.
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Security is paramount for our association and so we take whatever steps the police advise us to take," said Naik.

Naik said, "Since the idol is heavy, it is made in the mandap itself. Work will begin on August 4 and will be completed in time for the festival.
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The idol will be immersed at Girgaum Chowpaty on the fifth day of the festival."

The Mandal is expecting to draw 50,000 people for darshan everyday.

For one of the 38 pujas that are performed to please the deity, people are used as weights on huge scales and give away offerings in their body weight to Ganpati bappa.
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The offerings are generally sugar, jaggery and gold ornaments," added Naik.

The Mumbai police have asked other mandals to take a cue from GSB's security measures and set up similar systems.

Matunga police officials said that the system was helpful to them last year in keeping a check on thieves and mischief makers.
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However, they have suggested that this year the CCTVs be installed outside the mandap in the parking lot.