Public Ganesh Mandals’ feast worth ₹2 croreGaneshotsav: 9 lakh leaf plates; 45 tonnes of wheat purchased for dal-batti along with Basmati and Sona stim rice

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The fervour of Ganeshotsav has now reached its peak. On Wednesday, citizens thronged pandals to view the decorations, while public Ganesh mandals distributed prasad in leaf bowls across the city. Over the next two days, every public Ganesh mandal will hold Satyanarayan puja followed by a feast. Traders informed that purchases for these feasts have already touched nearly ₹2 crore.

This year, around 900 Ganesh mandals of various sizes have installed idols in the city. Of these, 500 mandals will perform Satyanarayan puja, followed by community meals. Around 25 to 30 large mandals distribute different prasads every evening after the aarti during the eight-day festival, sometimes rice, sometimes sabudana khichdi. For this, about 9 lakh leaf plates, 12 lakh bowls, and 10 lakh disposable water glasses have already been sold.

Rajabazar feast of ₹6 Lakh

The Sansthan Ganpati Temple Trust has been organising annadaan (community meal service) for nine days during Ganeshotsav. This costs around ₹6 lakh. Inspired by this six-decade-old tradition, several Ganesh mandals too have started annadaan.

Basmati for pulao, Sonastim for masala rice

During Ganeshotsav, pulao and masala rice are staple items in the feasts. For pulao, long-grain Basmati rice is used to keep the dish fluffy, while Sonastim rice is preferred for masala rice. About 45–50 tonnes of rice are sold during the festival. For Satyanarayan puja, sheera (sweet Rava dish) is distributed as prasad, leading to sales of 10 tonnes of Rava.

Dal-Batti and Gulab Jamun on the menu

Many feasts still serve boondi, but in the past 4–5 years, gulab jamun has grown in demand. Traders noted sales of 10 tonnes of boondi-besan, 10 tonnes of sugar, 25 tonnes of soybean or mustard oil, 6 tonnes of maize and 45 tonnes of wheat for dal-batti, and 60 tonnes of gulab jamun mix.

Daily expenditure of ₹70,000–80,000

The Ashtangahriday Ganesh Mandal, with the support of Mukund Golatgaonkar, has created a tableau of Mysore’s Vishnu Temple. “We distribute mahaprasad every evening after the aarti. For this, we spend ₹60,000–70,000 daily,” said Manoj Wadgaonkar, Founder-President of the Ashtangahriday Ganesh Mandal.

Two days for Satyanarayan Puja

Ganesh idol immersion will take place on Saturday, September 6. Before that, Satyanarayan puja can be performed on either Thursday (4th) or Friday (5th). The puja requires five banana trunks, betel leaves, dried dates, coconuts, red supari, turmeric, rock sugar, tulsi leaves, and other items. In some places, Shri Satyavinayak puja is also performed, said Guruji Suresh Kedare.

Caption:

Mahaprasad is distributed daily by the Ashtangahriday Ganesh Mandal.