The buzz around Ganeshotsav has begun with the festival just about 10 days away. The city of Mumbai is famous for having one of the grandest celebrations of this festival. With so many Ganesh pandals across the city, the Chinchpoklicha Chintamani is among the most famous list. Right from the first procession of bringing in the idol to bidding farewell on the 10th day, the fanfare around this Ganesh pandal is too vibrant to be missed. Here’s everything to know about its history and how to reach there. Lalbaugcha Raja to Dagdusheth Ganpati – This Ganesh Chaturthi 2023, Top Pandals Across Maharashtra To Watch Out For.

Chinchpoklicha Chintamani History

The Chinchpokli Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal was founded in 1920 by a group of 20 to 25 men at Chinchpokli. The festivities were inspired by the freedom struggle that was followed in India during that time. The idol was much smaller in the initial years, just two to three feet in height. But over time, it gained much popularity and now sits on a throne and is about 23 feet high. The mandal collects funds for the celebration from thousands of residents in Chinchpokli. Along with the celebration, these funds are utilised for a variety of social cause activities such as building a medical center that provides subsidized services to those who cannot afford private hospitals. A reference library is also built to provide space for students to study peacefully. 

The idol is called Chintamani, which means that it takes away all worries. Faith draws people to this idol along with other popular ones like Lalbaugcha Raja and Mumbai cha Raja. Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Sunny Deol, Ajay Devgn and Other Celebs Extend Heartfelt Wishes to Fans on This Auspicious Occasion.

How to Reach Chinchpoklicha Chintamani?

By Train: The nearest station to reach this idol is Lower Parel on Western Line and Chinchpokli on Central Line, from where the pandal is a 5-minute walk. The distance from Lower Parel is a bit longer.

By Road: The location of the Chinchpokli Ganesh Mandal is very crowded during all days of the festival so it is preferable to take public transport instead of private vehicles to avoid parking hassles. You can opt for public buses to Ganesh Talkies, Shantaram Pujara Chowk or even Jaihind Cinema. The mandap is close to all these bus stops.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 24, 2023 10:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).