Ganapati Bappa Morya

With each passing hour the energy levels of the people accompanying the Ganesh idols goes up, the noise decibels can be heard even by folks on the 28th floor and the palpable excitement of being part of the most important festival of Mumbai is enough to carry you through the night till the idol is immersed in the water.

On the last day of this 10 day mega festival the idol immersion day known as Visarjan day all the roads leading to the lakes and the sea is clogged with long processions, music, dance and cheer. Over 250 community Idols along with tens of thousands of individual idols are ready for the final ritual of immersion.

Due to its dual social-political and religious significance Ganesh Chaturthi has acquired the status of a cross-cultural event. People from all walks of life participate in the festival. Statues of Ganapati is made varying in size between a few inches to over 25 meters. On ten different days the statue is anointed with various Aaratis and Abhishekhas alongside Vedic and Puranic Ganesha Mantras that are musically chanted. On the final day, large processions to the tune of millions literally throng river and sea shores to immerse the idols, chanting “Ganapati Bappa Morya Purchya Varshi Laukaria” meaning Ganapati our Lord, We look forward to welcome you next year.

Check out some of the pics and see the Mumbai way of life.

MumbaiFirst

South Mumbai has two personalities..Daytime Mumbai is hurried and worried.

Nighttime Mumbai is calm, relaxed and pleasant.

Sometimes it is difficult to imagine it is the same city during day and night.

After 7pm walk on the marine drive queens necklace and start discovering mumbai. the endless chanawallas, bhelwalas and makkawallas show their art of surviving. you try to ignore them first, then later pickup something or the other. sit on the periphery with your legs dangling on the seaside and you enjoy the cool breeze , think what a relaxing city this is.

slowly the people start melting away and you hop on to the best bus and go to colaba.

leopold, mondy catch your fancy. you checkout the place, the people inside and walk around the building..reach baghdadi and then you see Bademiya.

you decide to sit in the place opposit the cart and order kebabs , baidaroti through the extremely busy order taker..merciffuly the order comes fast as it is just 8.30 and the place is still manageably filled.

You like this Mumbai, not hurried, just relaxed. Take the bus to Churchagte station and then see the Borivali fast local train is already packed.