Ganesh idol damage prompts remedial puja

MUMBAI: Unnerved by the mishaps that blighted Ganeshotsav this year, particularly in the Maharashtrian heartland of Lalbaug-Parel, community leaders gathered at the prominent Tejukaya Mansion to perform a remedial puja on Thursday.
Two accidents had occurred as the immersion processions were led through the area on Anant Chaturdashi on September 11. An awning loaded with onlookers fell onto the street, and then, the spectacularly beautiful Ganpati idol of Tejukaya housing colony broke into fragments.Two people lost their lives.
Some say the Tejukaya incident occurred due to potholes, in the road while others blame a tall hoarding en route. "We have no idea what caused it. All I remember is that each visitor to the pandal marvelled at our idol and unprecedented crowds joined our visarjan yatra," said Arun Gaonkar, president of the Tejukaya Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Trust. "It was shocking to see the idol collapse. We suffered much trauma and decided to seek Lord Ganesh's blessings to ward off evil."
As the Guru Pushyamrit yog unfolded, 13 priests from the Siddhivinayak Mahaganpati temple of Titwala arrived to perform the homam ritual and offered 3,000 modaks to the holy fire. A series of pujas, religious lectures and bhajans followed.
Men of learning as well as community leaders were invited for the day-long ceremony. Noted astrologer Jayantrao Salgaonkar said, "One problem or another besets Ganeshotsav each year so it was apt to perform the udaka shanti and the sarvarishta shanti puja."
Naresh Dahibawkar, president of the Akhil Mumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti, attended as well. "After the dual mishap, doubts arose about whether we had incurred the displeasure of the deity. Remedial measures needed to be taken and Thursday's stellar alignment was suitable," he said.
However, the mandal did not blame the administration for the potholes in the roads that pose a threat each season. "We have held our silence and will continue to do so," said Tejukaya resident Rahul Dhumne. Dahibawkar also declined that the collapse was a result of idol being fashioned impossibly tall. "The height of the sculpture has nothing to do with it. This was a mere accident," he said.
The idol had won awards and praise for its spectacular theme of farmers' suicides. A 22-ft tall dancing Ganesh played the 'dafli' as he towered above a farmer who was beating a drum to invoke divine intervention. Such was the technique employed by in-house 'moortikar' Rajan Zhad that the deity appeared to be suspended in mid-air. The pole it was anchored to was artfully hidden from view.