GSB mandal in Kings Circle sets record in 2016, collects Rs 8.15 crore in 5 days
Ganesha at GSB Mandal in Kings Circle
2016 has turned out to be a record breaking year as far as collections of city’s richest Ganpati mandal are concerned. The GSB Seva Mandal in King’s Circle surpassed last year’s collection of Rs 7.95 crore by approximately Rs 20 lakh, ending up with total collections of Rs 8.15 crore in 2016.
What makes the collection even more impressive is that unlike most mandals, where the idol resides for 11 days, the idol is only installed at GSB for 5 days, implying an average collection of over Rs 1.6 crore per day. In total, around 8.5 lakh devotees visited the mandal.
The GSB mandal’s spokesman Satish Nayak said, “Last year, we collected around Rs 7.95 crore. This year, we have crossed Rs 8.15 crore and are expecting the advertising revenue to add another crore. Of the Rs 8.15 crore, Rs 6.1 crore came from puja bookings and Rs 69 lakh from the hundi placed before the deity. We have received 350gm gold and 1.5kg silver.”
The number of pujas performed during the festival also increased from 60,000 last year to over 66,000 in 2016. According to one source, the increase in the number of pujas can be attributed to the online booking system, where devotees can book one from a mobile app.
The pandal offers over 40 different types of pujas for which it invites priests from their native temple in Shirali. According to one report, each pujari earns around Rs 1 lakh during the festival.
The GSB mandal had also purchased its biggest ever insurance policy this year, with an insurance cover of Rs 300 crore.
