GSB Seva Mandal takes Rs 703 crore insurance cover for Ganpati festival
Mumbai's GSB Seva Mandal has taken an insurance cover of Rs 703.27 crore for its upcoming Ganpati festival, up from Rs 474 crore last year. The five-day celebration will feature an idol adorned with over 66 kg gold and 335 kg silver
Mumbai: The GSB Seva Mandal in Mumbai has taken a massive insurance cover of Rs 703.27 crore for the upcoming Ganpati festival, compared with Rs 474 crore last year, organisers said on Sunday.
The deity’s idol will be adorned with more than 66 kg of gold and 335 kg of silver ornaments during its five-day festival, they said.
The 10-day Ganpati festival will begin on September 14.
The GSB Seva Mandal, considered the richest Ganesh mandal in Mumbai, organises the celebration at King’s Circle, which attracts a large number of devotees.
The mandal said it will organise its 72nd Ganeshotsav for five days from September 14 to 18. The first look of the idol will be unveiled during the ‘Virat Darshan’ ceremony at 8 pm on September 12.
“This year we have taken Ganeshotsav insurance cover of Rs 703.27 crore. Being a responsible mandal, it is our responsibility to ensure the safety and security of every devotee,” its spokesperson Amit Pai said in a statement.
The Maha Ganpati idol is eco-friendly, the organisers said, adding that the gold and silver ornaments, along with precious gemstones, are generally donated by devotees and sevadars (volunteers).
More than 40,000 people are expected to benefit from the ‘annadaan seva’ (food charity service) every day, while over two lakh people will receive prasad during the five-day festival, the mandal said.
During the celebration, several prayers and services will be offered as per Vedic traditions and scriptures, it said.
The mandal has also replaced traditional printed receipts with digital ones to reduce paper wastage and promote an environment-friendly celebration, it added.
