Mumbai: Showers of lashing rain greeted families as they arrived to collect their Ganpati idols on the eve of the festival Sunday. Sarvajanik mandals fortified their mandaps as moderate to heavy rain soaked the weekend.Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani and Navi Mumbaicha Raja reported that preparations had slowed down or stalled. “We are closing the ‘finishing work’ and line management but due to rain we have to take cautious steps,” said Deven Jadhav of Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani.Ankush Vaiti, president of Navi Mumbaicha Raja, said, “Heavy rains since this morning have significantly impacted our preparations. There are leakages inside the pandal, the outside area is waterlogged, and some of the paint work is getting damaged. Electrical work has become challenging. We are reinforcing the pandal and queue arrangements to ensure devotees can have safe and comfortable darshan even in heavy rain. We are doing everything possible to stay on schedule, but if such heavy rains continue during Ganeshotsav, we are also concerned that devotees may hesitate to step out, which could affect the overall turnout.”Deepak Pawar, secretary of Mumbadevi Cha Ganraj mandal, said, “It has been raining continuously since Saturday night but we have not stopped preparations. We have draped additional tarpaulin and plastic sheets and secured our idol and prepared a canopy for the darshan waiting area for devotees. We have insulated and covered the electrical wires. Our mandal is located in main Bhuleshwar market near Charni Road station so we receive lakhs of passersby and visitors. We are soon heading out to bring our small utsav moorti which is carved from shadu mati (clay) and we will cover it properly owing to rain.”Wooden platforms are routinely constructed for the convenience of devotees who must otherwise wade through wet maidans or alleys. Lal Maidan Ganeshotsav in Parel fashions such a platform each year.The Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti advised mandals to ensure the security of devotees, volunteers, idol, and shed. “Ensure the safety and strength of the mandap, tarpaulin, tin shed, roof, iron structures, electrical connection and generator back-up. Make sure that no electric connection or loose wires are located near places where water accumulates,” the Samiti said in a press release Sunday noon.Meanwhile, volunteers of the Khetwadicha Raja and other mandals in the vicinity kept up all night, partly to tackle the relentless downpour that challenged looming deadlines.
