Shivdi Cha Raja Marks 75th Year with Underwater Dwarka Pandal

Mumbai's Shivdi Cha Raja has unveiled a distinctive underwater Dwarka theme for this year's Ganesh Chaturthi, marking the mandal's 75th anniversary. The pandal, which recreates the legendary city of Dwarka beneath the sea, has been drawing devotees from Mumbai and beyond since the first day of the festival.

Speaking about the milestone, mandal president Shrikant Jadhav said the organisers wanted to do something unique for the diamond jubilee year. Over the past 75 years, he noted, the mandal has witnessed considerable social change, and the team felt the occasion called for a special effort.

The theme, Jadhav explained, seeks to evoke Dwarka as it is imagined between the Gomati River and the Arabian Sea. The display allows visitors to view the Ganpati idol alongside the specially created underwater setting.

Darshan at the Dwarka display begins at noon and continues until around 6 or 7 in the evening. According to Jadhav, visitors come both to seek blessings from Shivdi Cha Raja and to see the themed pandal.

The idol will remain at the mandap for 11 days, as it does every year. Jadhav described the project as risky, but said it was completed successfully by the grace of the deity. Devotees from Maharashtra and other parts of India have been arriving to see the 75th anniversary display.