'Earlier, Ganeshotsav was social. Now it is all about social media.'
There was a time when Ganeshotsav meant small stages, bhaktigeet, bhavgeet (devotional songs), colourful chalachitra, prasad after the aarti, and long nights spent visiting mandals across Lalbaug and Parel in south central Mumbai.
Decades later, the festival has grown bigger and more elaborate, but old-timers feel that its original spirit is slowly fading.
Rediff's Hemant Waje and Divya Nair traveled through the narrow lanes of Lalbaug, Parel and Chinchpokli and spoke to nostalgic residents about how Ganeshotsav has changed over the years.
"No one knows the exact history of Ganeshotsav. But in school, we learned that Bal Gangadhar Tilak started the festival in 1893 during the British era to promote unity and encourage patriotism against colonial rule," says Vishwas Parab, 56, a resident of Ganesh Galli.
"A lot of people think that Ganeshotsav celebrates Lord Ganesha's birthday, which is not true. In Mumbai, Pune, and several parts of Maharashtra, it was celebrated as a sarvajanik event where people from the same area and village came together to worship Bappa and spread the message of unity among the community through songs, skits and bhajans," explains Mandar Patil, 73, who grew up in Lalbaug before moving to Pune.
Our colleague Satish Bodas, who grew up in Parel, remembers, "Back in 1976, we used to bring home Ganpati idols as small as 1 ft for Rs 12. Each household would contribute Rs 2; someone would sponsor the oil, someone would bring flowers, and someone else would bring prasad from home."
"It was like a simple family event where everyone came together and contributed in some way. It wasn't so grand; there was no fancy lighting or band baaja," recalls Satish. "Sometime in the 1980s, the tasha was introduced. Until then, we would only sing bhajans and participate in the aarti."
"I remember my dad had only one condition -- the Lord Ganesha murti should not be standing. He believed it was disrespectful to worship Lord Ganesha while he was standing for five days."
Parag Kadam, 62, was born and brought up in Lalbaug and has been associated with the Ganesh Galli mandal since 1976. He started as a bal swayamsevak and went on to become its chairman.
Having spent nearly five decades with the mandal, Kadam reminisces about the days when Ganeshotsav dekhave (decorations), or themed displays, were an integral part of the celebrations.
"During the pre-Independence era, these displays often featured themes aimed at inspiring the youth and fostering a sense of patriotism among them," recalls Kadam.
After independence, the mandal began incorporating social causes and issues into the Ganesh festival celebrations," Kadam adds.
The celebrations were far more modest in those days, recalls 69-year-old Bhagwan Nagesh, a Chinchpokli resident.
"In our childhood, the celebrations were minimal and closer to tradition. The stage used to be smaller. There were no loudspeakers or competition as such. We used to play bhaktigeet and bhavgeet, and distribute prasad after the aarti. As bal sevaks, we would sell Lord Ganesha pictures for 25 paise and 50 paise. The money we collected would go back to the mandal," remembers Nagesh.
At the time, Lalbaug and Parel were predominantly mill-worker areas. Ganeshotsav offered residents a platform to showcase their talent, creativity, and community spirit.
"In 1977, on the occasion of the mandal's 50th anniversary, we began creating tall Ganesh idols. We wanted to showcase the artists' craftsmanship and talent. On the occasion of the mandal's 75th anniversary, we began depicting major pilgrimage sites from around the world, as many people could not afford to travel to these places," says Sanjay Tukaram Sawant, vice president of Mumbaicha Raja, Ganesh Galli.
This year, the Ganesh Galli mandal is celebrating its 99th anniversary.
"The specialty of Ganesh Galli's Ganpati idol is that we do not use moulds to create the tall idols," adds Sawant.
The experience of the festival itself has changed drastically over the years, says Kadam.
"Earlier, people would arrive late at night on the last train and spend the entire night visiting different mandals from Parel to Lalbaug. They would then catch the first train the next morning from Chinchpokli station.
However, now people wait in long queues for five to seven hours just to visit one mandal, and they get tired. Earlier, people would experience the grandeur of this mega festival, but aata utsav rahila nahi (the festival is no longer the same). Utsavachi shaan thodishi kami jhali aahe (the charm of the celebrations has diminished)," explains Kadam.
Several locals feel that Ganeshotsav has now become increasingly limited to individual mandals, taking away from the larger community spirit of the festival.
"Ganeshotsav is no longer the same. I feel the original spirit behind the sarvajanik Ganeshotsav has diminished. Utsav, aata utsav rahila nahi (the festival is no longer what it used to be)," says Kadam with a sigh.
Sameer, a resident of Ganesh Galli, partly blames the builder lobby for commercialising the utsav.
"I remember sometime in the 1990s, one builder donated some jewellery to Lalbaugcha Raja. He continued doing it the following year as well. Then one year, Amitabh Bachchan visited the pandal. Since then, celebrities have been regularly visiting the pandal. Slowly, crowds started gathering," says Sameer.
"Now people wait for several hours to get a mukh darshan of Lalbaugcha Raja. There is a separate queue for VIPs. Growing up, we were only interested in our respective mandals."
Though Lokmanya Tilak envisioned the public festival as a way to awaken and mobilise the masses, locals feel that its original purpose has gradually weakened.
Parab and Kadam point out that mandals continue to put in considerable effort to create memorable celebrations, but the growing emphasis on competition has brought its own challenges in terms of crowd management and mishaps.
"Be it Janmashtami or Ganeshotsav, with youngsters joining the preparations, every year, there is competition to increase the height and creativity of the idol. Every mandal wants to do something unique, something hatke, which is challenging, but also very risky for the organisers and the audience," says Parab.
As Abhishek Uday Parab from Parel points out: "Earlier, Ganeshotsav was social. Now it is all about social media. When we were kids, there were only two channels. Only visarjan used to be covered by (television) channels. Nowadays, with social media, that eagerness and uniqueness is missing. Everyone wants to take a picture and post it on social media."
Parag Kadam believes the focus on increasingly elaborate idols has come at a cost.
"Ti kala aata rahili naahi (That art and creativity is lost now). Today, some artists create idols that appear to be floating in the air. When you look at a Ganesh idol, you should feel happy and satisfied. However, there is a fear about whether the Ganesh idol will remain intact until immersion. So, we don't know where this festival is heading. The competition should be stopped," expresses Kadam.
Locals also point to the rising cost of organising the festival. Without citing names, they admit that inflation and increasing production costs have encouraged organisers to seek support from municipal corporators and entrepreneurs.
"The mandal's budget has increased by 100 to 200 per cent. In the current scenario, with high inflation and a lack of employment, contributions from mandal members alone are not sufficient. So, you have no choice but to accept advertisements," says Kadam.
Today, the approximate cost of organising a 10-day sarvajanik festival ranges from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore, depending on the scale and popularity of the mandal.
Social media marketing and influencer campaigns have also changed the way major mandals attract visitors and generate revenue. The funds raised help several of them undertake social and community initiatives throughout the year.
"We conduct blood donation camps, organise free eye check-ups and provide free cataract surgeries. Our mandals also felicitate students who have scored good marks," says Nitin Sawant, 58.
Every year, as mandals introduce taller idols, grander themes and bigger celebrations, locals who have grown up watching the festival evolve and pass the baton to younger generations hope they will remember its original purpose and preserve the sanctity and spirit of Ganeshotsav for future generations.