Slowdown hits Ganeshotsav: Small mandals in Mumbai see 25% fewer sponsors

Mandals across the city are slotted into four categories based on footfall and location, which in turn decides the advertising rates. Bigger Ganpati mandals, which are famous and have high footfall, charge more than ₹1 lakh for advertisements on one gate.

While bigger mandals are unaffected, the economic slowdown has hit smaller Ganpati mandals, leading to at least 25% drop in sponsorships.

Devotees throng to buy decorative items ahead of Ganesh Chathurti festival at APMC Market in Navi Mumbai.(File photo by Bachchan Kumar/ Hindustan Times)

There are a total of 13,000 sarvajanik mandals in the city, of which 3,070 mandals are bigger mandals.

Mandals across the city are slotted into four categories based on footfall and location, which in turn decides the advertising rates. Bigger Ganpati mandals, which are famous and have high footfall, charge more than ₹1 lakh for advertisements on one gate. “Lalbaug, which is the hub of festivities during Ganesh Chaturthi, receives advertisements worth ₹10 lakh for a mandal every year. This year, it will fall to anywhere between ₹7-8 lakh,” said Sandeep Parab, spokesperson for Chinchpoklicha Chintamani, which completes 100 years this year.

Subodh Chitnis, treasurer of Andhericha Raja, said while the amount for bigger mandals is the same, they had to approach various companies to get sponsorship. “Earlier, if one company would sponsor five gates, now they sponsor only two. For the remaining, we might have to approach some other company,” said Chitnis. Usually, telecom, FMCG companies and real estate firms advertise with mandals.

Naresh Dahibhavkar, president of Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS), umbrella organisation of Ganpati mandals in the city, confirmed the 25-% drop. “Because we are a big mandal, we still get advertisers. Builders are not willing to spend this year. Smaller mandals are the worst-hit,” said Parab.

For mandals like Goud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) Seva Mandal, King’s Circle, which is one of the wealthiest in the city, 80% of the money comes through puja receipts, general donation and hundi collection. In 2016, the Ganpati mandal had collected ₹8.15 crore. “We had conducted 66,000 pujas last year. This year, the number might go up by another 6,000. We get only 20% of our total collection from advertisements,” said Satish Nayak, trustee of GSB, King’s Circle.

Vasant Mullik, a member of Sarvoday Mitra Mandal at Kurla, said in the absence of advertisements, their members chip in a minimum of ₹2,000 per person every year, and then individually people pay for various expenditures. “Our costing for the entire festival is around ₹2 lakh. This year, some of the amount will be sent towards rehabilitation of the flood-affected. We will cut down on lighting and decoration and spend only ₹1.5 lakh,” said Mullik.