Aale Re Aale Appley Ganpati Ale is all that I can hear from the past few days. It’s the time of the Mumbai in fact Maharashtra’s most awaited festival of the year, the Ganesh Chaturthi A 10-day festival in which people immerse themselves in the prayers, celebrations and welcoming of the Ganpati Bappa with great pomp and show!
The festival of Ganapati can be called the festival of unity for the people of the entire state, as people get together and enjoy the celebration of welcoming Bappa to their home despite any caste, gender or creed!
Many people bring Bappa to their homes while some visit different idols of Ganapati Pandals set up in different locations of the state or city. Ganpati is the time of the year when you get the opportunity to witness some of the marvellous creations of man in forming an idol of Bappa.
Different forms, shapes, sizes, and colours are what you can see during the festival period. The entire city gets covered with a wide range of pandals and is not more than 5 km away from each other.
This Ganpati undergoes pandal hopping with your friends and family and gives you goosebumps by seeing some of the best and biggest Ganapati Pandals in the city! Here is the guide for you to explore the city of Mumbai in the most unexplored way!!
Best Way to do Pandal Hopping
Mumbai city is known for its crowd and traffic and when it comes to the time of festival then you are totally stuck. Hence if you are planning to undergo Pandal Hopping or have a deep urge to do so, then either be prepared to walk or use local transport of the city in the best possible way starting from Local Trains, Buses to Rickshaws.
There cannot be any other way to explore the city in such a way and the city is more lively and beautiful during the festival of Ganpati.
Hours to do Pandal Hopping
Ganapati is one such festival during which you will find lots and lots of crowds getting together. Hence it is recommended to undergo Pandal Hopping at odd hours i.e. somewhere early in the morning or late hours in the night when the crowd is minimal and you can do the darshan of the Bappa with fewer difficulties.
There is no chance that you will find the Pandals empty, but odd hours can be a right choice and right decision for your Pandal Hopping.
Flexible route for hassel free Pandal Hopping
Here is a quick and flexible route for you that you can follow and it covers almost all the important Ganpati Pandals in the city!
Lalbaug Cha Raja, Ganesh Galli
Known to be one of the biggest and greatest Ganpati Pandal in Mumbai city. This Ganpati Pandal becomes the symbol of heritage for the city, especially during Ganapati. It has been more than 85 years since Lord is being welcomed in this area, It is believed that Lalbaug Cha Raja fulfils all your wishes. Do not get amazed by seeing people standing in queue for more than 24 hours just to get a glimpse of Bappa, the more you wait the more satisfaction will be admired by you.
Chinchokli Cha Chintamani, Chinchpokli
Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani is the oldest Ganapati Pandal in the city. It has been more than 100 years of this Ganpati Pandal in Mumbai, after Lalbaug Cha Raja people visit this Bappa as it is considered your spiritual tour will be completed only when you take the darshan of both of the pandals. The reason behind the name Chintamani is that it is believed that the people of Chinchpokli considered that whenever Bappa comes all their miseries and grieves vanish away and hence this area’s Bappa came to be known as Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani.
Keshavji Naik Ganeshotsav, Girgoan
Ganpati Ustav in this area was started by none other than famous freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak in 1893. Ideally, the celebration was just a reason to bring people together so that he can convey his ideas, and opinions and make people think and understand the concept of freedom. But today this is the biggest Ganpati Pandal in the entire area of Girgaon. Best part about this pandal is that every year it comes up with new ideas and themes for decorating the pandal that amazes everyone. This year do visit Girgaon to check out the unique theme of Keshavji Naik Ganeshotsav.
Fort Vibhag Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav, Fort
Fort is the posh area of Mumbai. It’s beautiful and especially the culture and lifestyle of South Mumbai are adored by many. During the Ganpati festival, Fort becomes more special and welcomes the Bappa with great pomp and show. The best part about this Ganpati Pandal is that the decoration, the theme and the lights leave you mesmerized. Imagine yourself in a place with a beautiful pandal and a huge idol of Bappa, that feeling is impossible to express.
Dongri Cha Raja, Dongri
Dongri is a small port city between Mira and Bhayander and carries a special value in the hearts of Mumbaikar as the port is the oldest existing trading centre. Dongri is a place where you will find mixed culture people living together in peace and harmony. Similarly, the Pandal of Dongri is a must to visit and an important stop on route of Pandal Hopping, you will find the most beautiful Bappa Idol in the city. Head to Dongri to immerse yourself in the different atmosphere of the Ganpati Festival.
Bappa is here and it’s the time of the year to enjoy, celebrate and most importantly welcome Bappa with an open heart. Hoping that this guide turns out to be fruitful for you and till then,
Ganpati Bappa Morya!!
Mangal Murti Morya!!
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