The Heritage Ganpatis of Mumbai
“Ganpati Bappa Morya,” the whole group chants.
In a September morning, I have reached Girgaon to join a group of fellow Mumbaikars. We will do Ganpati puja “pandal hopping” in Girgaon. The guided tour called “Ganpatis of Girgaon” has been arranged by Khaki Tours.
In the last 7 years of living in Mumbai, I have never been to the old neighbourhoods of the city during Ganpati festival. From a different walk, I already know that public or “sarvajanik” Ganpati pujas of Bombay had started in Girgaon. So ofcourse I cannot leave an opportunity to know more about it.
The history of Girgaon in Mumbai
About three centuries ago, Girgaon used to be a nice beach with coconut groves at the foot of Malabar Hills. Due to the ample presence of groundwater here, fruits and vegetables were farmed. Since the late 1700s, people started settling in this quaint place. Coconut groves were replaced by buildings. The settlers here worked as clerks in the offices of the British administration. They were well educated and could be called intellectuals of the time.
Overtime the neighbourhood of Girgaon became affluent.
The chawl system of living with its unique architecture emerged here. “Community” was at the heart of the chawl system of living. Chawls share a common verandah, courtyard, and sometimes washrooms.
Ganpati Darshan
It seems like every gully of Girgaon is resplendent with a pandal. The first one we enter is apparently a puja that is 80 years old. The pandal and the idol is exuberating with homely charm. Since it is early in the morning, most of the residents are asleep. As we stand there, clicking photos, a lady comes out of her home and smilingly she gives us ‘prasad’—a modak! What a sweet way to start our journey.
Just a 3 minutes-walk away we reach our second destination. It is a walled chawl with a triangular courtyard. I think it is a very unusual shape for a courtyard. The Ganpati puja is around 100 years old. There is a dais for cultural programs. Our guide tells us that this puja was very famous in the olden days because stalwart dramatists and musicians performed onstage for free!
The chawl was home to harmonium & organ player Govindrao Patwardhan. Lata Mangeshkar’s younger brother and music director Hridaynath Mangeshkar was a regular here.
The food fiesta
After emerging out of the gates of that chawl, we are treated with some warm and fresh ukdiche modak. I have lived in this city for 7 years, yet this is the first time I am having them. Ukdiche modaks are shaped like momos. It contains grated coconut and jaggery wrapped in jackets made of rice flour. It is like “Pithe” in Bengal. We make it during “Poush Parbon”—a winter festival that marks the end of the Bengali month of Poush.
Ukdiche modak is the standard traditional prasad in Ganpati puja. However, the ubiquitous modak that now glorify the shelves of retail outlets are basically bad copies of the original sweet. The regular modak is made of sugar, milk solids and flavourings. They only mimic the shape of ukdiche modaks.
King of Girgaon
In Mumbai, it is very common to have public Ganpati pujas being named as the “king of the neighbourhood”. “Girgaon cha raja” means king of Girgaon. After gorging on ukdiche modak we move to see “Girgaon cha raja,” the most famous Ganpati of Girgaon.
The best thing about this Ganpati idol is that it is handmade with river clay and is 100% environment friendly. The idol is gigantic and is made onsite on a trolley! I guess the theme of the pandal for 2023 is languages of Maharashtra. I see an exhibit of local languages of every district on the walls of the pandal.
Funfact: In the days before television, movies were screened here free of cost on all 10 days of the festival.
From where the story started
Finally, I reach Keshav ji Naik Chawl. I have crossed this place before on the Girgaon ghost walk.
This sleepy chawl has a central courtyard. A small, humble, and eco-friendly idol of Ganpati flanks the courtyard. The puja here even has a website of their own where everyone can read their origin story. Bhausaheb Rangari had started sarvajanik(public) Ganpati puja in Pune in 1892 to stir up Hindu national sentiment. Soon after, Bal Gangadhar Tilak also started his own sarvajanik puja in Pune. Inspired by Tilak, his followers in this chawl started their own sarvajanik puja.
The low-key celebration here is all about sticking to roots. The idol is small. A palanquin is used to carry the idol during procession. On the day of immersion(visarjan), kids are rewarded with sweets and a unique drink.
A secret beverage in Girgaon
This is probably the most interesting find of the walk. I am introduced to ‘Maramari’— a drink. More like a desi mocktail. The word maramari in both Hindi and Bengali means fight. So, I am surprised by the choice of word to name a drink!
We are led into a roadside shop to enjoy the drink. Sosyo, a mixed fruit drink with origins in Gujarat is the main ingredient in Maramari. My fellow walkers with roots in both Bombay and Gujarat nod their heads at the mention of Sosyo while I sit with wide-eyes. This is the first time I have heard of Sosyo. During the freedom struggle, Gandhiji had apparently asked fellow Indians to replace whiskey with Sosyo. This drink is pretty old (yet I have never heard of it). In recent times, Sosyo is partially owned by Reliance Retails.
Anyways, reluctantly, the shopkeeper says Maramari is a combination of Sosyo, icecream soda, and Kashmiri masala. “That is one weird combination,” I think to myself. Why on earth someone will put Kashmiri masala and what does “Kashmiri masala” even mean! I think he has smartly dodged answering the question.
Resuming the walk
Next, we check the Ganpati called “Girgaon cha Chintamani”. It is huge and made with Plaster of Paris. Our guide informs us that since one neighbourhood can have only one raja or king, people have started getting innovative with names.
We attend the puja of yet another chawl. They also claim to be the first sarvajanik Ganpati of Bombay. This chawl used to have a huge central courtyard. Here, important political figures like Tilak, Jinnah, and many more used to meet and give speech openly. To squash the meetings, the British constructed a building in the courtyard.
However, the residents found a way to continue the meetings. In the garb of Ganpati festival, in the pre-independence days, freedom fighters continued discussing strategies.
Girgaon cha Maharaja
When we have met the ‘raja’ how can the ‘maharaja’ be far behind?
The idol here is inspired from Gardez Ganesha in Afghanistan. There are Ganesha idols across the world. Many of them are historic. During the rule of the Gupta period in the 5th and 6th century AD, the Hindu pantheon had spread wide and far. China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, many Pacific Island countries and many more countries have influences of those times. “Girgaon cha Maharaja” tends to take their theme from these internationally found Ganesh idols.
An ode to the artists
Enroute, our guide also shows us two studios where Ganesha idols are shaped by artists. They are a hit with the celebrities and the wealthy people of Bombay. The artists accept orders starting from Gudi Padwa, a state-wide holiday in Maharashtra that heralds the new year for the Marathi and Konkani people.
Some families have heritage gold jewellery to adorn the God. Precision needs to be maintained so that the jewelleries fit the idol. So, the role of the artisans is paramount. They are not easily replaceable.
As the tour ends, I feel that inspite of living in Bombay since 2017, it is only now that I consider myself to be an ‘okayish’ Mumbaikar!
Details:
The Ganpati walks are conducted almost daily during the festival.
Price– Around INR 800 per head.
Duration– About 2 hours
Timing– Usually in the morning and in the evening.
Location– Somewhere in Girgaon
How to book– Contact Khaki Tours through their website or Instagram page(@khaki.tours).
Requirement– Good walking shoes and no revealing clothes.
*****
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Tania Banerjee
Tania is a freelance writer based in India who tinkers with words here and there but mostly focused on travel, food, arts and crafts. She writes for several Indian dailies and magazines.
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