Hand it to them

Ganpati in Girgaum has two hands, a departure from ones with four

Ganpati in Girgaum has two hands, a departure from ones with four

Every Ganesh Chaturthi, devotees of the Elephant God hop across different pandals to appreciate the beautiful idols.

First-time visitors to Surya Mahal in Thakurdwar, Girgaum, however, were taken aback this year when they saw the Ganesh idol.
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Breaking away from tradition, the society members created a six feet-tall Ganpati idol, with only two hands instead of the regular four.

Two Good: For the past eight years, Surya Mahal has been designing a Ganesh murti with two hands.

Eight-year tradition

Society members say they have been creating such an idol for the past eight years and are following in the footsteps of a local artist, Ramchandra Sawant.

He deliberately made the idol two-handed so that the Ganpati is not different from the common man and saints like Dynaneshwar.

"We have been following this tradition for eight years. We get great pleasure in designing the idol by using eco-friendly materials like shadu mati (mud) and vegetable dyes.

None of us are experts in making the murti, but it's fun to be a part of the process," said Anand Mazgaonkar, a member of the mandal.

He added it takes two months to design the idol and volunteers participate after returning from work.

Nilesh Raut, a resident of Virar, said, "My brother stays in Surya Mahal and it's a different feeling to participate in the making of its Ganpati. I have been a part of it and will stay till the visarjan."

Rs 15,000
BMC's cash prize for maximum immersions in an artificial pond in a ward

Rs 3 lakh
The amount spent by the BMC to build an artificial pond

17
Total number of artificial ponds in the city

1.5 lakh
Number of Ganesh idols in Mumbai