As Ganeshotsav festivities kick off today, Navi Mumbai’s oldest Ganesh mandal, Shivchaya Mitra Mandal (SMM) in Turbhe, is all set to welcome lakhs of devotees with a grand replica of Pandharpur’s Vitthal-Rukmini temple. The 80 ft-long, 40 ft-wide, 40 ft-tall shrine, designed by art director Amol Pashte, will house the 10 ft idol of Navi Mumbaicha Raja, sculpted by Nikhil Khatu.

With saffron flags, devotional abhangas and visuals of the Wari, the replica promises to transport devotees to Pandharpur. “The design is so authentic that even regular pilgrims will feel they are inside the real temple,” said Ankush Vaiti, president of SMM. But the organisers know that spiritual grandeur comes with a big responsibility of managing the 8–10 lakh devotees expected over the 11-day festival. For this, the mandal has rolled out a tech-enabled crowd control system.

“Along with QR-code-based entry tokens for time-bound darshan, we have installed 12 CCTV cameras inside and outside the pandal for round-the-clock monitoring. Over 55 trained volunteers will be on duty to guide devotees and prevent overcrowding,” informed Vaiti. On the sensitive issue of visitor safety and medical support, he clarified, “We have not done insurance for the visitors, but around three to four ambulances will be stationed near the pandal throughout the festival. In case of emergencies, devotees will be taken to nearby hospitals on priority.”