Idol money

Designer mandaps, gigantic idols bedecked with gold, rising footfalls, rush for insurance cover and increasing sponsorships - author takes a look at the economy around Ganeshotsav in Mumbai

Traffic in Mumbai moves slower than usual for 11 days each year. The impatient honking and vehicle smoke blend with strains of bhajans and the fragrance of incense, emanating from one of the 11,400 Ganeshotsav celebrations in the city. This means there is one Ganesh pandal for every 1,614 persons living in Mumbai's residential complexes, chawls, slums or street corners. The ratio of lavatories to people in the city is not far ahead at 1:1,440, according to the United Nations Human Development report. While living conditions weaken and the economy slows, the rich and poor alike seem to pin their hopes squarely on faith.

A well-oiled machinery is behind the colourful chaos of the celebrations. The Ganeshotsav economy is complete with planned budgets, annual reports and healthy treasuries. Of the total mandals, there are at least 6,000 with big and very big idol installations, says Naresh Dahibawkar, president of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti. Envisioned by Bal Gangadhar Tilak during the freedom movement as an event to unite diverse local groups, Ganeshotsav today attracts contributions from devotees from across India and also from overseas in dollars and euros.

While most established mandals have websites, their smaller counterparts have at least a Facebook page. For those devotees settled abroad or who are unable to make it to the pandal, there are live darshan telecasts and webcasts.

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Preparations begin two to three months in advance. Today, it is common to have tall idols, parts of which are fashioned out of gold or adorned with real ornaments. Kambli Arts takes 30 days to create the Lalbaugcha Raja idol, which is installed at the best-recognised and most-visited pandal. The deity's design, known for being lean and majestic, is patent-protected and its title is trademarked. Such guarding of intellectual property has become commonplace among big mandals, which want to prevent misuse of their name.

Another big organiser, Gowd Saraswat Brahmin Seva Mandal in King's Circle, installs the wealthiest Ganesha. The 14.5-feet tall idol has been decorated with 70 kg of gold and more than 470 kg of silver this year, says secretary Satish Nayak. Its worth is estimated at an astounding Rs 21.5 crore. Bookings to sponsor the Ganesha idol at Andhericha Raja, which involves a donation in the region of Rs 80,000-Rs 1 lakh, are full until 2058. Through a lottery, the mandal used to choose a sponsor family, which would get to perform the puja at the beginning and end of the festival. "People whose wishes get fulfilled promise to take up the sponsorship. But by 2008, we had to stop taking requests because of the overwhelming response," says the mandal's spokesperson, Uday Salian.

Expenses have climbed, forced by the growing scale of celebrations and a rise in costs. Based on the strength of the organisers, spending could be anywhere between a few lakhs and Rs 3 crore. Costs are covered by donations in the form of cash, sponsorships, gold, diamonds, foreign currency and paid requests to perform puja. Two years ago, Congress leader Narayan Rane sponsored the cost of the idol at Ganesh Galli. The more unusual offerings include sugar at the Chandanwadi Ganesh, which received more than 50 kg of it last year. Some estimates had pegged the total revenue generated by the festival in the city at Rs 1,200-Rs 1,400 crore.

As proof of the increase in the footfalls and wealth of the pandals, organisers have been strengthening security and insurance. While Gowd Saraswat Brahmin Seva Mandal's insurance cover has risen to Rs 223 crore from Rs 50 crore in 2006, Lalbaughcha Raja's cover has climbed to Rs 51 crore from Rs 14 crore two years ago. Others like Khetwadicha Ganraj are planning to get insured next year. According to a Business Standard report earlier this month, an official from a state-owned general insurance company said the number of Ganesha mandals taking insurance has seen a 20-30 per cent rise.

The average cover, he said, was Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore. The policies include cover for the pandal, electricals, precaution against food poisoning, accident cover for volunteers and devotees, as well as protection for the idol's finery. Other risks covered include fire, stampede, drowning (during immersion) and terrorism.

With the number of visitors ranging between 1,000 and 1.5 million a day at big mandals, security is a prime concern. Pandals include multiple CCTV cameras, watch towers, control rooms and private security guards with walkie-talkies. On key days, Mumbai cops sometimes pull shifts as long as 30 hours. Celebrations in housing societies involve 20-30 volunteers, while large organisers include 1,000-4,000 volunteers, some trained in anti-sabotage and security by the police.

Created by professional art directors, the mandaps are lavish, often resembling ornate temples or mahals from various parts of India. The core committee members of Andhericha Raja visit the location that has to be replicated. While this year's decor took them to Pune's Ranjangaon Mandir, last year the crew travelled to the Dilwara temple in Rajasthan, says Salian. Ganesh Galli's Mumbaicha Raja is seated in mandaps inspired by a different temple each year. This time, the organisers had the Somnath temple in Gujarat recreated for Rs 30 lakh, the cost of a small home in the central suburbs. Mandaps are usually air-conditioned, with electricity bills of Rs 5,000-Rs 1 lakh.

While powerful mandals are sought by advertisers, the smaller mandals have trouble attracting enough advertisements. The sponsors are usually corporations, local businesses or politicians. According to Balasaheb Kamble of Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandal, the big hoardings of Nationalist Congress Party leader Govind Shivram Dalvi near the VIP gates are worth over half a crore rupees. The smallest banner here fetches Rs 1 lakh.

On the other hand, relatively less prominent ones like Makba Chawl Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal in Byculla say they have had trouble getting advertisements. The chawl gets 10,000 to 20,000 visitors a day and most expenses have to be met with donations and contributions from volunteers. "It's a struggle to woo advertisers. This time, we left the task to an advertising agency, which paid us a sum of Rs 25 lakh," says Sandip Bagve, vice-chairman, Lalbaug Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal which manages the Ganesh Galli idol.

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A percentage of the revenue is reserved by big organisers for social initiatives. Smaller mandals without hefty collections use the donations simply to fund the next year's celebration. Apart from organising Ganeshotsav and Navratri, Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandal runs a dialysis centre, computer classes, Union Public Service Commission and Maharashtra Public Service Commission training institutes in the locality. Out of its 3,500 festival volunteers, 125 are employed in social activities round the year with salaries ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000. Other mandals like Lalbaug Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal run projects such as medical centres and eye and blood donation camps. Proceeds at Andhericha Raja are used to reserve a bed at Nanavati hospital for needy patients.

There are, however, less awe-inspiring sides to the festivities, including the environmental concerns during immersion. The donations that come in cannot always be accounted for, says an insider. There are also instances of infighting in mandal committees. The underworld too was once heavily involved in the festivities with Chota Rajan, Arun Gawli and Varadarajan Mudaliar funding pandals, but its presence has since diminished.

Conversely, Ganeshotsav provides business to hundreds of idol craftsmen and skilled labourers who bring pandal designs to life. As the spirit of competition grows, most mandals, big and small, have started adding "Raja" as a suffix to their deity. Idol maker Omeya Zad, known for creating African elephant-style Ganesh statues, employs craftsmen from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. "Many small mandals request us to make copies of Lalbaugcha Raja but we decline them," he says. The investments and scope of the event continue to grow more intense each year.
FESTONOMICS

1
Ganesh Galli, Lalbaug
Idol: 22 ft, bedecked with 7 kg gold
Expenses: Rs 70-75 lakh
Donations expected: Rs 1.25-1.5 crore
Insurance: Rs 5.5 crore

2
Lalbaugcha Raja, Lalbaug
Idol: 12 ft, decorated with 14 kg of gold
Expenses: Rs 3.2 crore
Donations expected: Rs 16 crore
Insurance: Rs 51 crore

3
GSB Seva Mandal, King's Circle
Idol: 14.5 ft, decorated with 70 kg gold and 470 kg silver
Expenses: Rs 2.5-3 crore
Donations expected: Rs 6-7 crore
Insurance: Rs 223 crore

4
Andhericha Raja, Andheri
Idol: 8.5 ft, wears 36 kg silver and 2.5 kg gold
Expenses: Rs 30-35 lakh
Donations expected: NA
Insurance: Rs 3.7 crore