A GANPATI WITH HEALING POWERS

The GSB Mandal's idol at Matunga is a legend, visit it before it is immersed tomorrow.

he South Indians of Mumbai will bid a tearful farewell tomorrow to their Ganpati idol that is installed at the G.S.B. Sport's Club in King's Circle. This Ganpati, 18-feet-tall, is a legend for its miraculous healing powers. Created by Avinash Patankar, and decorated with 50 kg of gold and 200 kg of silver valued at Rs. 6 crore, the G.S.B. Seva Mandal's Ganpati is said to have cured devotees of ailments ranging from diabetes to cancer. It has been attracting the faithful ever since 1954, when it was first installed here by Gowd Saraswat Brahmins from South Kanara who were grateful to the city for offering them livelihoods.Heavy rains will not deter devotees from getting last darshans of the deity. Shri Krishna Bhatt, high priest of the community, yesterday said a special prayer for the pujas not to be disrupted by the rains. Sixty priests from Karnataka perform the pujas here after which devotees are served the mahaprasad on a banana leaf. There is no recorded music at this Ganpati mandal. Traditional Indian musical instruments that are used in Karnataka temples accompany the pujas. When a devotee's wish is fulfilled, he offers jewellery or coconuts worth his weight to the Ganpati in thanksgiving.

Dinesh Pai, G.S.B. Seva Mandal spokesperson, said: "This Ganpati draws members from all society. Our culture is different. We maintain the traditionalism of Ganeshostav. Our last puja is conducted by 10 p.m. Personalities like Sachin Tendulkar and Uddhav Thackeray are among those who visit the mandal every year." NRI devotee Shankarnarayanan Balu said that his son was cured of stomach cancer after he prayed to this Ganpati. "I had lost hope. Then I heard of this Ganpati on a US news channel and rushed to Mumbai. Even while I was praying here, my son was getting better. Today he is normal. Since then, I try to visit the mandal or send my offering through mail," he said.