When Ganesh Chaturthi Became Part Of Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's Mumbai Story In Early 1990s – Exclusive
Ask any Mumbaikar about Ganesh Chaturthi, and chances are their answer will involve food, family, pandal hopping and plenty of memories. For celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, though, his connection with the festival began only after Mumbai became part of his life. In an exclusive conversation with The Free Press Journal , the chef recalls how moving to the city in the early 1990s truly showed him…
Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor's connection with the Ganesh Chaturthi festival began in the early 1990s when he moved to Mumbai. For years prior, the Indian native had celebrated the festival in North India, where it was celebrated on a smaller scale.
Upon arriving in Mumbai, Kapoor found himself working at a hotel right on Juhu Beach, a prime location for witnessing one of the city's most revered annual spectacles. He recalls being blown away by the sheer scale of the celebrations and the emotion surrounding them. Sitting on the top floor of the hotel, Kapoor would get a breathtaking view of the visarjan, the final procession of Lord Ganesh as he was taken out of the pandal.
This initial experience changed Kapoor's perspective on the festival, making it an integral part of his life moving forward. He now makes it a point to visit his wife Alyona Kapoor's family Ganpati, a tradition that has been carried on across generations. For Kapoor, Ganesh Chaturthi has evolved from a mere celebration to a day of Mumbai darshan, a pilgrimage through the city's diverse culinary and cultural offerings.
Written by urgent.news from Free Press Journal's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
