Rs 15-cr crown from the Ambanis, 66 kg gold/silver ornaments: How loaded are Mumbai’s Ganeshas

It’s the most popular Ganpati pandal in Mumbai, and perhaps the whole of Maharashtra. And it’s not just added another feather to its cap, it’s got itself an all new crown.Ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi that began on September 6, Anant Ambani and the Reliance foundation donated a 20kg gold crown worth Rs 15 crore to Lalbaugcha Raja (King of Lalbaug). medium nocaption113134229The stunning gold crown has put the spotlight back on the immense wealth of Mumbai’s top Ganpati pandals. The city has more than 2,000 sarvajanik Ganpati mandals (community ganpati mandals) and the number is only increasing every year. Envisioned by nationalist Bal Gangadhar Tilak during the freedom movement as an event to unite diverse local groups, Ganeshotsav started as a simple festival for people to bond. Today though, it has reached new heights of grandeur, becoming one of the biggest festivals in Mumbai for which people travel from not just across the country but different parts of the world, attracting crores in contributions from devotees in India and overseas – in rupees, dollars and euros.TOI+ looks at the top 5 wealthiest mandals of Mumbai :GSB Seva Mandal, King Circle medium nocaption113395657 medium nocaption113395674Goud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) Seva Mandal at King's Circle is the richest Ganesh mandal in Mumbai. Its clay-and-grass idol made in South Indian style is adorned with 66 kg of gold and 325 kg silver ornaments. Approximately 20,000 people visit the GSB Seva Mandal pandal per day, that’s 1,00,000 people over five days.The pandal’s trust this year procured record-breaking insurance of Rs 400.58 crore for the five-day festival spanning September 7-11. This year's insurance cover, in fact, broke last year’s record of a little above Rs 360 crore.Mandal chairman Amit Pai gave the break-up of the insurance cover. "Of Rs 400.58 crore, the largest component of Rs 325 crore involves personal accident cover for volunteers, cooks, service personnel, valet parking and security staff, and stall workers. Rs 43.15 crore is an all risk policy that covers a variety of risks including (theft of) gold, silver and jewellery. Another Rs 2 crore is standard fire and special peril policy with earthquake risk covering items like furniture, fixtures and fittings, installations like computers, CCTV cameras, QR scanners, utensils, grocery, fruits and vegetables. Rs 30 crore is public liability cover for pandals, stadiums and devotees. And Rs 43 lakh involves standard fire and special peril policy for the venue premises," he said.Lalbaugcha Raja medium nocaption113395772 medium nocaption113395782The 14-ft idol of the Lalbaugcha Raja is one of the most recognised Ganpati idols across the country. Also called Navasacha Ganpati or wish-fulfilling Ganesha, its awe-inspiring grandeur has become synonymous with the festivities in Mumbai. Sculpted by the Kambli family since 1935, late Madhusudan Kambli was the first to be commissioned to craft the idol. For nearly 90 years, Lalbaugcha Raja has continued to be sculpted at Kambli Arts, which also holds the copyright for the face of Lalbaugcha Raja.What adds to its magnificence are the clothes and jewellery that adorn the idol. Each day during Ganeshotsav, Lord Ganesha’s idol is dressed in a pitamber (dhoti), a stole and a kambar patta (waist belt), with a change of clothes twice a day – at 3am and 3pm. Hence, 22 sets of clothes are put together every year for the 11 days of the festival. The idol is decorated with more than 14kg of gold ornaments that include detachable gold feet and over 20kg of silver, as well as a gold necklace and gold janau (sacred thread worn across the torso).Although the committee members do not give specifics about the ornaments that adorn the idol, the mandal has an insurance of nearly Rs 33 crore, of which Rs 8.26 crore is for the gold jewellery and other precious items decorating the idol. What makes this pandal unique though is the sheer scale of devotion as lakhs of devotees throng the pandal each day, often waiting for hours to seek blessings from the deity. With such a massive following, the Lalbaugcha Raja mandal raised Rs 80.7 lakh last year through auction of items donated by devotees, including 3.5 kg of gold and 64 kg of silver. The 90-year-old mandal received cash donations exceeding Rs 5 crore last year.Andhericha Raja medium nocaption113395879 medium nocaption113396014Started in 1966, Andhericha Raja, located in Mumbai’s western suburbs, is popular for three reasons – one, the idol is an offering from devotees who book it years in advance; second, its immersion takes place after 16 days (as opposed to the usual 10 days); and third, the grand theme-based pandals on display every year.Interestingly, the name of the idol’s sponsor for each year is chosen by lottery. So great is the demand that slots have already been booked till 2062. Filmstars, corporate houses – everyone is in queue.The sponsor for the year gets to perform the aarti at the start of the festival. "We get requests every year to offer the idol, but we have to reject them,' said Uday Salian, spokesperson for the trust. This year, Azad Nagar Sarvajanik Utsav Samiti, which manages the pandal, has created the Patwa Ki Haveli of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, known for its intricate design and royal charm. The stunning pandal, designed by Dharmesh Shah and a team of 70 skilled workers, took 45 days to build and is eco-friendly. The idol wears a gold crown adorned with diamonds worth Rs 1.5 crore that has been made from all the gold offerings like coins made to the pandal. Every year, the clothes are usually painted on the idol. A few years ago, however, Andhericha Raja was dressed by New York-based fashion designer Sai Suman, who is an ardent devotee. This year too, Suman has designed special clothes for all 16 days. Mumbaicha Raja (Ganesh Galli) medium nocaption113396049 medium nocaption113398457Just a few lanes away from the Lalbaugcha Raja and almost as popular is the Mumbaicha Raja in Ganesh Galli. Founded in 1928, this crowd-puller pandal is celebrating its 97th Ganeshotsav this year.This year, the pandal is a replica of the Mahakaleshwar temple of Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, which is a Jyotirlinga or representation of Lord Shiva.Two years ago, a fascinating replica of Kashi Vishwanath temple of Varanasi was created by renowned art director Kunal Vijay Sable, who worked on the Christopher Nolan movie Tenet, for the mandal.The deity’s hands and feet are made of gold weighing some 3kg each and it wears a 5kg gold necklace.The mandal spends close to Rs 50 lakh to just get the pandal ready each year. The Mumbaicha Raja is insured for Rs 10 crore, most of which is towards the gold and silver ornaments that adorn the idol.Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani medium nocaption113396129 medium nocaption113397394Set up in 1920, Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani, which features a 22-foot-tall idol themed on Puri temple’s Lord Jagannath and has Balram, Krishna, and Subhadra in the background, has been crafted by ad woman-turned sculptor Reshma Khatu, the city’s only woman running a studio sculpting Ganesha idols.. The popularity of the pandal can be gauged from the fact that the idol has the largest 'aagman yatra' (welcome yatra) in Mumbai. To ensure the yatra goes smoothly, Vitthaldas Pai, president of the mandal, said "We made arrangements for two lakh people since this is the largest aagman yatra in the city. We also stationed ambulances and doctors should any mishap occur."The idol is adorned by multiple gold necklaces and embellishments on its trunk and waist belt are in silver and precious stones.