Ganesh idol routes likely to be changed

Mumbai: Lalbaugcha Raja, the city’s most popular Ganpati, may have to take a different route to both arrive and bid adieu this year. Thanks to the ongoing metro works across Mumbai, most of the major Ganpatis are likely to change their routes of arrival and immersion.

According to officials of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS), an umbrella organisation of city Ganesh mandals, the processions of several major Ganpatis, including Lalb-augcha Raja, Mumbaicha Raja (Ganesh Galli), Chinchpoklicha Chin-tamani, Tejukayacha Ra-ja (Lalbaug) and GSB Ganpati (Matunga) are likely to change route as city roads are occupied with metro works.

Narendra Dahibavkar, president of BSGSS, said, “The idols of many big Ganesh mandals start arriving from August 15. By that time, metro wor-ks need to be completed or an alternative route needs to be suggested for the procession. We had already brought this iss-ue to the notice of the cit-y’s guardian minister, who directed a survey of procession routes. But we have not heard anything about it so far.”

Mr Dahibavkar said that the traffic department had informed them that the routes of major Ganpati mandals needed to be changed. However, the security aspect also needed to be taken into account while planning the routes.

A civic official said, “We are planning to call a meeting with metro officials to decide the change in procession rou-tes. The Ganpati mandals, will be intimated well in advance about the same.”