Mumbai GSB Ganapathi to be livestreamed to Kudla

Mangaluru: Want to catch the final day’s action of the famed Kings Circle Ganapathi managed by GSB Seva Mandal at Mumbai on Friday from distant Namma Kudla? Fret not, for this is now just a touch away on an app. Thanks to a move by Goud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) youth, a ‘Kodiyal’-based GSB youth organisation, activities at the richest and highly insured Ganapthi pandal of Amchi Mumbai is available through the ‘Youth of GSB’ app developed by the organisation.
While the Ganapathi pandal was set up by the GSB community settled in then Bombay in the mid-1960s, it shot into prominence after then seer of Kashi Math Samsthan Sudhindra Thirta swamiji undertook chaturmasa in Mumbai in 2004 during Chaturthi, and blessed community members there. Since then, a trip to Ganesh Chaturthi festivities at this pandal is something that GSB community members aspire to undertake and receive blessings of the deity.
Making this wish come true for those unable to do so for various reasons, albeit virtually, is this app, which the organisation uses for other community related activities too. In addition, it has used YouTube to livestream the event by creating a link that is widely shared in local WhatsApp groups. The livestreaming started with ‘Virat Darshan’ of Lord Ganesh on August 31, and will go on till the immersion ends in the early hours of Saturday.
What makes this pandal special is the fact that it is the one that celebrities frequent without fail, notes Chethan Kamath, one of the promoters of Youth of GSB. “We had actor Jeetendra come on Wednesday and other Bollywood celebs including Aishwarya Rai are scheduled to come on Friday,” Chethan told TOI over phone from Mumbai. Two-hour highlights of day’s events in Mumbai are also being broadcast locally through the local cable network here.
An interesting facet of this pandal, Chethan said, is the security arrangements that Prakash Tevar puts in place each year. “Prakash had received blessings of Sudhindra Thirtha in 2004 and his security business flourished thereafter and expanded pan-India,” he said. Prakash deploys more than 550 staff who ensure that 70 kg gold and more than 350 kg silver ornaments of the deity are safe from any evil designs.