Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 Mumbai: The financial capital of India, Mumbai, is all set to celebrate the ten-day Ganesh festival from Saturday. According to news agency PTI, the festival will be celebrated in more than 2,500 Ganesh mandals and lakhs of households. The authorities had received 3,358 applications from Ganesh mandals—groups that celebrate the festival in public places—and permission to put up pandals was granted to 2,635 mandals as of Friday, reports news agency PTI, quoting a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official. Another 300 odd applications were pending approval, he said.

Many mandals have brought in their Ganpati idols with grand procession in the last two-three days. The idols will be installed at homes and in pandals with rituals on Saturday. Crawford Market, Lohar Chawl, and Dadar vegetable markets were chock-a-block during the day, with people thronging to buy flowers, sweets, puja materials, and items for decoration.

Bright, coloured lights have already lit up streets and bylanes in Lalbaug, Parel, Girgaon, Andheri, Chembur, Fort, and other areas that house famous Ganapati mandals. 

Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 Celebrations: Some Famous Mandals In Mumbai

Lakhs of devotees visit some of the popular pandals, such as `Lalbaugcha Raja', during the ten days of the festival. Other well-known mandals in the area include Chinchpokli, Ganesh Gully, and Tejukaya.

The Matunga-based GSB Seva Mandal, known for its Lord Ganesha adorned with gold jewellery, is considered one of the wealthiest mandals.

Some 15,000 police personnel will be on the streets for the next ten days to provide security, officials said. 

Ganesh Chaturthi 2024 Mumbai: President Murmu Greets People On Eve Of Ganesh Chaturthi

President Droupadi Murmu greeted people on Friday on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi and said the festival gave the message of social harmony and brotherhood.

"On the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all Indians living in India and abroad," she said in a message on the eve of the festival.

This festival of joy and enthusiasm gives the message of social harmony and brotherhood, Murmu said.

Bhagwan Ganesh is a symbol of knowledge, wisdom and prosperity, she said and added that the "festival motivates us to be humble and dutiful, and also promotes social cohesion".