04 September,2023 06:37 PM IST | Mumbai | Ronak Mastakar
Pic/Ronak Mastakar
With chants of 'Ganpati Bappa Morya', the 11th lane Khetwadi in South Mumbai welcomed the 45-foot tall Lord Ganesha idol on Sunday (September 3).
Ahead of Ganeshotsav 2023, Mumbai is getting decked up to celebrate the Ganesh Chaturthi with big pandals and sparkling lights across the city.
The Ganeshotsav mandals celebrate the festival in a significant manner. This year, South Mumbai residents welcomed the tallest Lord Ganesha idol. The 11th lane of Khetwadi (Khetwadi 11th Galli as it is locally called) has the tallest Lord Ganesha idol so far in Mumbai.
The Khetwadi 11th Galli Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal was founded in 1962. This year the mandal is celebrating its 62nd year. The 45-foot towering idol of âMumbaicha Maharaja', known as âKhetwadi cha Lambodara', can be seen in the Indra Dev avatar.
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Amit Sawalkar, vice president of the mandal, told Mid-Day that they have been bringing tall Lord Ganesha idols for many years.
When discussing the mandal's choice to introduce a towering 45-foot idol of Lord Ganesha in the Indra Dev avatar, Sawalkar shared with Mid-Day, "Each year, we unveil impressive Lord Ganesha idols. Last year, we featured a 38-foot idol portraying Lord Ganesha as Parshuram, and this year, we opted for a 45-foot idol of Lord Ganesha in the Indra Dev avatar. We aim to present Lord Ganesha in diverse avatars each year, offering people the opportunity to witness his various forms."
The 45-foot towering idol of Lord Ganesha was sculpted by Kunal Patil of KP Arts, Sawalkar informed.
Speaking about the theme of the pandal, Sawalkar said they are still yet to decide what the theme would be. "We brought the Lord Ganesha idol early so that we could work on the theme and decorations," he added.
Last year, the Khetwadi 11th Galli Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal welcomed the 38-foot towering Lord Ganesha idol in the avatar of Parshuram, Lord Vishnu's incarnation. Parshuram is the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu. He eliminated 21 generations of Kshatriyas over the injustice done to his clan. The 38-foot towering idol of âMumbaicha Maharaja', known as âKhetwadi cha Lambodara', was claimed to be the tallest Lord Ganesha idol in Maharashtra.
Ganesh Chaturthi, a 10-day Hindu festival dedicated to Lord Ganesha, will be observed from September 19 to September 28.
