Chinchpoklicha Chintamani makes arduous trek to Surat

Members of the Mandal who accompanied the idol to Surat

This year, Ganpati devotees in Surat will be able to see the famous ‘Chinchpoklicha Chintamani' in their city. The Sahara Darwajacha Maharaja Yuvak Mandal in Surat decided to bring a similar idol with the face of the Chinchpokli idol for locals devoted to it, and transported the 18-feet-high Ganesh murti by road in less than 48 hours beginning last Saturday.

Chinchpoklicha Chintamani is the idol of one of Mumbai's oldest sarvajanik Ganesh mandals that was established in 1920. The Surat Mandal officials told mid-day that the idol has the same - signature - face as the ‘Chinchpoklicha Chintamani' created by renowned idol maker Reshma Khatu, with a little change in the body. Khatu has been making the idol every year. The idol, which stands at a height of 18 feet and reaches 22 feet with a trolley, was transported on a trailer by the Mandal karyakarta from Vijay Khatu's Studio in Lalbaug, Mumbai.

The face of the idol taken to Surat resembles the face of the original Chinchpoklicha Chintamani in Lalbaug, Mumbai

Speaking to mid-day, Sandip Patel, a karyakarta of the Mandal, said, "The ‘Chinchpoklicha Chintamani' is highly revered in Gujarat, and many people in Surat are unable to travel to Mumbai to have its darshan. So our Mandal decided to get the same idol and requested Reshma Khatu who readily agreed to create it. The face of the idol is the same. The body structure is little different. We will also conduct the agman (ceremony) in the same style as the ‘Chinchpoklicha Chintamani' Mandal on September 9."

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The journey

The journey of the idol began at 1 am from Lalbaug this Saturday. It was loaded onto a trailer and around 37 members of the Mandal had arrived in Mumbai in four cars to take it to Surat. Around 3 am when they reached Bandra, the Mandal members realised the idol would touch the flyover. They then took an alternative route via Carter Road to the Western Express Highway. Despite heavy rainfall in Mumbai, the idol on the trailer managed to reach Vasai by 8 am. However, the Vasai-Kalyan railway line posed an obstacle, with the 18 feet high idol touching the railway bridge. The Mandal had to remove the fabrication work above the idol, which took them two hours in Vasai. They then moved the trailer safely, crossing under the Vasai railway bridge.

Right side

"We then drove on the wrong side of the road for around 25 kilometers. On reaching the Virar toll, we went to the right side. We were a total of 37 youngsters and stopped several times for meals. The trailer was moving at a speed of 5-10 km/h only," Patel added. Eventually, the idol reached Surat at 5 am on Monday.

Only the Sahara Darwajacha Maharaja Yuvak Mandal in Gujarat received approval for the signature face of the ‘Chinchpoklicha Chintamani' idol. Reshma Khatu said, "I received a call from theMandal in Surat requesting the creation of the signature face of the ‘Chinchpoklicha Chintamani' idol. After checking the authenticity and sincerity of the Mandal, I decided to make such an idol for them. While the face of the idol resembles the original ‘Chinchpoklicha Chintamani' the body structure is different. Now, people in Surat will have the opportunity to have darshan of the signature face of the ‘Chinchpoklicha Chintamani'' idol."

Vijay Khatu's studio, in operation for 75 years, has a rich history of making Ganesh idols. Reshma Khatu's grandfather started the tradition in 1947, and her father, Vijay, and family members have continued the legacy. Due to floods in Surat in 1968, the family closed their workshop in that city.