Overview

• The Mandal announced darshan wind-downs: Charan Sparsh queue closes at 12 pm on September 4 and Mukh Darshan closes at 12 pm on September 5 ahead of the September 6 visarjan.
• Daily turnouts in the hundreds of thousands continued this week with long waits, while Mumbai Police maintained tight security and crowd-control arrangements.
• Mukesh and Nita Ambani attended the grand aarti on September 3, a day after Anant Ambani’s midnight visit under heavy security on September 2.
• High-profile visits kept the spotlight on the pandal as celebrities including Shilpa Shetty, Malaika Arora, Aamir Khan, Sreeleela, and TV personalities queued for blessings; Salman Khan offered prayers at minister Ashish Shelar’s residence.
• Social-media debate over preferential access intensified after videos of VVIP routes and dense crowds circulated, with separate clips and accounts alleging mismanagement and difficult conditions for devotees.