MUMBAI, INDIA, August 27, 2014 (Times of India): A trip to the neighborhood Ganpati mandal used to be a daily affair for Rajesh Pai and his family when they were living in central Mumbai. Since the family moved to Mira Road, the annual trek to see Khetwadi’s tall Ganpati statues grew difficult, till Pai discovered a mobile app.
As crowd management becomes tougher, some of the older mandals are trying to play catch up using technology. Mumbaicha Raja Android app from the Ganesh Galli mandal will be launched on Friday while Lalbaugcharaja-Official app, which was released last year and has more than 5,000 downloads, will soon have its iOS version. Khetwadicha Ganraj from Grant Road, which also has more than 5,000 downloads, is being updated with live telecast in high-definition video. All of them are free.
“Young people use their phones to watch everything. Features like live darshan are also meant for those living abroad or who are going out of Mumbai during the festival,” says Bharat Bhujbal, member, Lalbaug Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal. Khetwadi’s 12th Lane Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal thought of a smart app as many people, especially senior citizens, are unable to visit the crowded pandals, says committee member Ganesh Mathur.