Mumbai Ganeshotsav preparations continued under heavy rain on Sunday, with public mandals reporting waterlogging, leaks, damaged paintwork and difficulties securing electrical systems ahead of the festival. Volunteers were reinforcing pandals, covering idols and adjusting queue arrangements to protect devotees expected to visit neighbourhood celebrations across the city.
At Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani, finishing work and crowd-line management slowed because of the weather. Deven Jadhav of the mandal said the team was taking cautious steps while completing preparations. In Navi Mumbai, Navi Mumbaicha Raja also reported disruptions after heavy rain began during the morning.
“There are leakages inside the pandal, the outside area is waterlogged, and some of the paint work is getting damaged,” said Ankush Vaiti, president of Navi Mumbaicha Raja. He said electrical work had become challenging and that the mandal was reinforcing the pandal and queue arrangements so devotees could have safe and comfortable darshan during the rain.
Vaiti said the mandal was trying to remain on schedule but added that continued heavy rain could affect attendance if devotees hesitated to travel during Ganeshotsav.
At Mumbadevi Cha Ganraj mandal in the Bhuleshwar market area near Charni Road station, volunteers added tarpaulin and plastic sheets, secured the idol and prepared a covered waiting area for devotees. The mandal also insulated and covered electrical wires. Its secretary, Deepak Pawar, said the location receives lakhs of passersby and visitors. Volunteers were also preparing to bring in the mandal’s smaller utsav moorti, carved from clay, under protective covering.
The rain also affected the temporary access infrastructure used by devotees. Wooden platforms are routinely installed at some celebrations to prevent visitors from having to walk through wet maidans or narrow, waterlogged alleys. Lal Maidan Ganeshotsav in Parel constructs such a platform every year.
The Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti issued a safety advisory to mandals on Sunday afternoon. It asked organisers to check the strength and security of the mandap, tarpaulin, tin shed, roof and iron structures, as well as electrical connections and generator back-up. The committee specifically warned organisers to ensure that electric connections and loose wires were not located near areas where water accumulates.
The safety concerns extend beyond the pandal structures. Rain-affected approaches, queue areas, temporary platforms and electrical installations can all influence how safely devotees move through crowded festival sites. Mandals have therefore been using additional covers, reinforcing structures and modifying arrangements as weather conditions change.
Volunteers at Khetwadicha Raja and other mandals in the area reportedly worked through the night as the downpour continued and preparation deadlines approached. The mandals’ immediate focus remained on completing installations, protecting idols and ensuring that waiting and darshan areas were usable when festival activity began.
