Celebrate Ganpati in Mumbai on ₹5000: Style, Swag & Savings

SMALL BUDGETS, BIG CELEBRATIONS!

Ganesh Chaturthi is a ten-day tradition of devotion. It has music, food, and flair. The streets get filled with the devotees celebrating the festival. From steamed modak to dry modak. From glittering pandals to dhol-tasha beats. This festival is a grand showcase of Maharashtrian cultural.

Many devotees celebrate with great spending. And while many other celebrate it with less spendings. But the truth is: you can experience celebration within a budget of 5000 as well. This is for anyone who celebrated be the students, youngsters, families. We'll now explore how to celebrate without blowing our pockets. We will divide that 5000 across meaningful experiences. Some are darshan, modaks, street food, travel, immersion, shopping, and of course, fun.

Here’s how we’ll distribute the budget across the 10-day celebration:

2. Sweet Beginnings: Modaks on a Budget (500)

This festive Ganesh Chaturthi is not complete without modaks. Modaks are said to be Lord Ganesha’s favourite sweet. But not everybody can afford expensive mithai boxes. Here are some ways to indulge in it:

A. Make Them at Home

• The ingredients that are being used include rice flour and ghee.
• They yield to fifteen to twenty modaks.
• The cost varies from eight rupees to twelve rupees per modak.

Ukadiche modaks that are made at home are cheap. If you want to cook, follow easy youtube tutorials or buy a ready-made modak making machine.

B. Sweet Shop Saviours

You can now shop around within 250-500 rupees.

If you want to have the homemade modak taste best without any extra efforts. Some local shops in Mumbai are Aaswad in Dadar, Panshikar in Girgaon, or Prakash in Dadar West. They sell authentic modaks each costing around 15 to 30 rupees each. If you want to choose wisely then buy in small batches.

Pro Tip: Split with your group. Enjoy different flavours like chocolate, dry fruit and kesar.

3. Bringing Bappa Home: Idol and Decor

You can now bring an Idol and decor home at around 800 rupees.

A. Clay Ganesha

Get a clay Ganesh at around 300 to 600 rupees. Natural clay is used to make idols . They are easily available in many parts of Mumbai be it Matunga, Chembur or Girgaon. Many small artisans even sell beautifully crafted idols for 300 to 600 rupees.

B. DIY Decoration

The decorations are available as low as between 300-500 rupees. Instead of using the costly decorations try using these below mentioned ones-

• You can buy dupattas, lights, and flowers from the nearby local markets.
• You can use recycled cardboards for making arches.
• You can put LED lights instead of using costly lighting setups.

Read also:- Ganpati and Monsoon Magic

4. City-Wide Darshan: Pandal Hopping

The pandals can be decorated for as low as 1000 rupees giving them a fairy and festive look.

The Ganpati pandals across Mumbai are free to visit. But visiting these pandals at less cost can help you save some money on it.

Must-Visit Pandals

1. Lalbaugcha Raja :
   This place is known as the king of all Ganpatis. This place is considered grand.
2. GSB Seva Mandal:
   This mandal is known as the richest Ganpati . He has gold and diamond ornaments all over him.
3. Andhericha Raja:
   Andhericha Raja is famous for the visits that the celebrities do.
4. Khetwadi Ganraj:
   It has stunning pandals lined up in lanes each having different and unique themes.
5. Girgaoncha Raja:
   Girgaoncha Raja emphasizes on eco-friendliness and traditional visits.

Getting There for Less

• The Mumbai Local Day Pass covers unlimited train travel in a day at a lower cost.
• Walk Between Clusters: Some pandals are close enough to walk. Lalbaug, Ganesh Galli, and Khetwadi are a few of them.
• The tickets cane be booked digitally, skipping long queues through UTS App.
• One can share rickshaws with friends to avoid paying more . When it gets dark this should be preferred more.

5. Feast Mode: Eating Like a Mumbaikar

Mumbai is known for the food and Festivals it celebrates. You don't have to dine at costly places to enjoy Mumbai’s festive flavours. Instead, there are places where you can eat at very low cost.

A. Street Food Delights

• Vada Pav: Can be the best option to eat as it is not costly. Some known vada pav stalls are at Anand Stall or Ashok Vada Pav.
• Bhajiyas: Also known as Sabudana Vada, they can be perfect for fasting. They are available at thirty to forty rupees.
• Bhel Puri: Also known as pani puri or golgapppe is also an option. They are Light with mouthwatering filling.

B. Festive Thalis & Meals

• Home Thali:
  Home thalis are also available . They consist of rice, puris, shrikhand, sabzi. They cost only 80 rupees per thali.
• Budget Restaurants:
  there are restaurants that are budget friendly. Aaswad or Shree Krishna Batatawada for Maharashtrian thalis are some of them. They are under two hundred rupees.

6. Visarjan Vibes: Goodbye with Grace

The hardest day is when you send Bappa back. It gets very emotional while nobody wants him to go. You can immerse him at home in buckets or you can attend public visarjans. This process can be done at very little cost.

A. Local Immersions

Before the immersion, devotes do special prayers and perform Aarti for the idol. For small idols, immerse them in buckets at home and later you can pour the water into plants.

B. Beach Visarjan Experience

• Girgaon Chowpatty:
  This spot is considered the most iconic visarjan spot in Mumbai.
• Juhu Beach:
  This beach is cleaner and more spacious.
• Versova & Dadar Beach:
  This beach is ideal for doing photography during the immersion process.

Conclusion

Ganesh Chaturthi is not about magnificence; it’s about how you celebrate it. With 5000 rupees, you can celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. Support local artisans, eat , dance and have fun in any part of Maharashtra. Devotees chant Ganpati Bappa Morya. It expresses the hope for Ganesha's return.

Ganesh Visarjan remembers the return of Lord Ganesha . He returned to Mount Kailash, to rejoin his parents. He returns after a period of earthly worship during this period.

Ganpati Bappa Morya!