Yesterday the Ganpati festival ended after nearly 100,000 Ganesh statues were immersed in the sea by millions of devotees. It was the largest crowd I had ever seen. Even new year at the Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo is nothing compared to that. This was the most exuberant expression of faith ever: Enormous Ganeshas were carried all the way to Chowpatty beach by chanting and dancing crowds, each group representing a different neighbourhood of Mumbai. It is amazing what people can achieve when driven by collective vision and pride. Equally impressive was the pedestrian traffic at Opera House (see video and map below).
http://www.vimeo.com/6496547More photos here.
