The narrow lanes of Girgaon are brimming with mixed emotions. At Keshavji Naik Chawl, Mumbai’s oldest Ganpati mandal, the walls may soon come down to make way for redevelopment, but the spirit of togetherness that has lasted here for over a century refuses to fade. With redevelopment plans on the fast track, the chawl’s residents will soon have to leave their homes and shift to transit or rental houses. However, they vowed that they would come together every year and celebrate the festival in this very spot.

“This place not only holds traditional importance but also has historical value. This was the place where Bal Gangadhar Tilak began his revolutionary movement. And as citizens of free India, we must honour this by ensuring traditions survive, and that’s what we have been doing for decades,” said 65-year-old Jyotsna Ketkar, who has been living here for the past 45 years.

Jyotsna Ketkar, resident who believes tradition must be upheld; (right) residents fixing a picture of Bal Gangadhar Tilak