Mumbai: At the Rele home in a century-old building in Chira Bazaar, Girgaum, a fourth generation is tending to a 61-year-old Ganeshotsav tradition.
Girgaum is where the Ganpati festival took its present form in the late nineteenth century. Independence leader Lokmanya Tilak converted Ganesh Chaturthi from a day of private prayers held in homes into one of the biggest religious celebrations in the world.
The area’s cultural and urban history has been the inspiration for the tableaux that holds the altar of Lord Ganesh at the Rele home. In 2023, the family created a model of the Zaoba Ram temple in the locality. The miniature replica is now displayed for visitors at the temple at Zaobawadi, a short distance from the Rele home.
This year, the family had created a model of a wada, a joint family home owned by the privileged classes. The architecture of the wadas has often been replicated in the chawls of the area, with long passages connecting rooms and common areas where the community gathers for festivals and more solemn occasions. The miniature Wada, complete with tiny pieces of furniture and clay models of its residents, is the idea of Mann Rele, a VFX artist and a licensed drone flyer.
Vikas, Mann’s father who is now retired from work, said that his grandfather started the tradition in 1964. When Mann took over the tradition from his father Vikas around five years ago, he decided to make the celebration environmentally safer. The decorations, which took the family more than a month to create, are made of recyclable MDF board.
The idol is made of clay, sourced from a sculptor in Jitekar Wadi in the vicinity. The other decorations like the lights and the garlands made of artificial flowers are saved for the next year. “Nothing from the altar goes into the waste bin,” says Mann who adds that the materials are relatively expensive and many people are reluctant to use them because of the cost.
“I think the trend of using recyclable and environmentally safe materials is growing as younger generations take over the celebrations,” Mann added.
