Ganeshotsav in Mumbai: Redevelopment leaves old chawls struggling to keep traditions alive

For generations of Mumbaikars Ganeshotsav was never just about bringing home GanapatiIt was more about coming together as a community mdash an idea established by Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak But over time what was to bring us together began to tear us apart as the festival became about competing for the best the tallest and the most expensive mandalpopcorn number1893 descYear of 1st sarvanjik mandal classDefaultFortunately some old housing complexes still continue to practice Tilakrsquos ethos mdash there are hundredyearold chawls that kept the pure form of sarvajanik Ganeshtosav intact with intimate and homely celebrations aliveA scene from Mahindra Complex before redevelopmentThe battle between community and commodification redevelopment of chawls and old buildings has made it hard to practice the former mdash leaving behind the ldquosarvajanikrdquo Ganeshotsav in shrinking courtyardsThe narrow passage outside a chawl that would once transform into a bustling mandap with hundreds of families contributing to the celebrations children gathering for games teenagers organising cultural programmes and playing carromantakshari at night elders sitting together in the evenings and neighbours who could barely meet through the year spending 10 days celebrating as one community mdash has all taken a back seatFrom huge mandap to sales officeFor decades the residents of Mahindra Complex in Borivali East would come together to celebrate Ganeshotsav What used to be a monthlong community activity is now restricted to ldquoganpati sthapanardquo in the sales office of the developer who has taken up the redevelopment project for the societyThere are hardly any residents in the Mahindra Complex after the redevelopmentldquoEarlier Ganpati meant the whole complex coming together Everyone had duties mdash collecting donations decorating the mandap organising programmes or simply sitting there together There used to be a healthy competition of which wing gives the maximum donation or who gives the craziest possible idea for mandap deacutecor or who suggests the weirdest game for eldersrdquo he saidLabour was delegated too ldquoThe everyday prasad would be cooked by different families So even that used to be exciting mdash to see who cooks the most delicious and most innovative prasad All that has disappeared now In fact for the last two years apart from a few committee members who go and do pooja at the sales office because thatrsquos lsquoshastrarsquo nothing happensrdquo said Akanksha KadamLucky to have another year at same locationKeshavji Chawl famous for being the first one to have started the sarvajanik Ganeshotsav celebrations in the city thought that last yearrsquos celebration of their 133rd sarvajanik Ganeshotsav would have been their last year before the redevelopment works beginKeshavji Chawl famous for being the first one to have started the sarvajanik Ganeshotsav might be on the precipice of redevelopment as welll this year FILE PICASHISH RAJEBut members said that they will celebrate their chawl this year too as the redevelopment works have not begun yet ldquoThough we are all a bit upset about our redevelopment proposal not progressing it also gives us some happiness that one more year we can celebrate our Ganeshotsav in the same way as we have been doing for the last 133 years at our own chawl But again maybe this year will be our last year to do sordquo said Gaurav TendulkarSpot where Gaodevi amp JK Tower Girgaon festival would be celebrated after redevelopmentFrom one galli to anotherMeanwhile some have still managed to keep the enthusiasm and celebration at a similar level The members of Gaodevi and JK Tower of Grant Road have shifted their sarvajanik Ganpati celebrations from between building number 8 and 9 near JK Tower to the corner of neighbouring lane opposite Goregaonkar WadiGaodevi amp JK Tower Girgaon residents before redevelopment ldquoWe have shifted the location and still organise the same games and programmes But as people have shifted their homes from this area to other faraway locations the size of the crowd that once gathered for all arrangements and celebrations has reduced by a big margin Only a few of us have continued doing everything And now that gradually all buildings in Gaodevi are going for redevelopment we do not know for how long we can keep making such arrangementsrdquo said Vaibhav MalkarFrom humble mandap to someonersquos homeThe 144 families residing at four chawls Lakshmibai Chawl Premji Nancy Chawl Khare Chawl and Mulchand Lalji Chawl celebrated their 75th year of Girgaonrsquos Char Chalincha Utsav curated by the Morya Sarvajanik Shree Ganesh Mandal after requesting the developer and taking consent from all members in the year 2023 It has been two years since they have been celebrating the festival on a very small scaleThe Chaar Chalincha Utsav Girgaon before it went to redevelopment in 2023ldquoThe celebration has been inherited with love the practice where we would build a beautifully decorated mandap in the passage available between our four chawls has been transferred to our small house in Girgaon where we have shifted for the temporary period of redevelopmentHere there are no games no jagrans no interactive sessions no cultural programs no assembling the mandap or decorating Bappa rdquo said Saurabh Navare