Richest mandal all set for Ganesh

MUMBAI: As the city prepares to celebrate Ganeshotsav on September 3, a modest hall inside the Ram Mandir complex in Wadala is being converted into a royal setting that befits the richest Ganapati in the city. Reciprocating the enthusiasm , the God is also preparing to meet his devotees in a veiled enclosure nearby.
Even as it waits to receive the finishing touches, the midsized idol radiates kindness.The kilograms of gold and silver ornaments it receives annually from devotees only serve to embellish what is already a thing of beauty.
Members of the Goud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) Samiti at Wadala proudly introduce theirs as the richest Ganapati mandal of all, but only until the question of turnover crops up. The samiti is unwilling to reveal its annual turnover but the parent body of all Ganesh mandals, the Mumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samiti, confirms its status as the richest body.
Secretary of the GSB Samiti, K G Saraf, says, "Hundreds of devotees offer silver and gold to our Ganapati. We display all the items before a dais. About 30,000 people visit each day, and on Anant Chaturdashi, the number swells to 50,000.'' The GSBs, whom Saraf describes as being of pure Aryan descent despite been concentrated in the Dravidian south, are wealthy people who demonstrate their gratitude.
Traders from Vashi donate sackfuls of the best quality grain and food items to the community kitchen. Ten thousand modaks and appams are cooked every day. Throughout the day, a few hundred devotees opt to conduct various 'pujas' ranging from thousands to lakhs of rupees, that must be booked well in advance . Security agencies and police personnel frisk visitors.
The Lord and his pot belly
One peculiarity of the GSB idol is the fearsome snake that is wound around Lord Ganesh's belly. Normally associated with Lord Shiva, his father, the serpent finds pride of place in this installation every year. Devotees pay special respects to it after worshipping the lord.
A member of the GSB samiti recalls the legend. Lord Ganesh's fondness for modaks is well known, but the god of all things was equally receptive to the 'kadam' , a rice cake that resembles the idli. Once, he ate too many kadam's and his belly swelled up. As he was walking along, the moon caught sight of him from the heavens above and burst out laughing at the chubby lad.
Overcome by embarrassment , the little god picked up a snake that was sliding by and wrapped it around his belly to bind it up. This childlike innocence of Ganesha is worshiped to this day as the Anant Padmanabha avatar.