Girgaum Chowpatty turns 'saffron' on eve of Modi's arrival

The iconic beach front of Girgaum Chowpatty is all decked up and awashed in saffron flags as it gets ready for the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the foundation stone laying ceremony for a grand memorial to Chhatrapati Shivaji in the Arabian Sea tomorrow.
The sand on the route, which Modi is scheduled to take to enter the sea from the beach in South Mumbai, has been completely levelled and watered. Mannequins of Lord Vitthal, Shivaji and saints Tukaram, Mira bai, Dnyaneshwar and Maharshi Vyas have been put up to showcase the rich cultural and religious legacy of India with a special focus on Maharashtra.

A 'sea' of saffron flags adorns the entire Girgaum Chowpatty area, which is popular with tourists and also locals.
A grand replica of one of the forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji has been built at the beach, where Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will hand over the samples of sand, stones and water brought from across the state to Modi.
The samples, collected from various places related to the 17th century Maratha warrior by district-level representatives, will be used by Modi to lay the foundation stone of the memorial.
The PM will take a hovercraft from Chowpatty to reach the site of the foundation stone laying ceremony in the sea.

However, in all the hectic preparations for the high- profile and much-awaited event, its hard to miss the political message around the function.

According to a BJP leader, the party will milk the construction of the memorial in run up to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls likely in early 2017.
"The Sena has been trying to hijack the legacy of Shivaji Maharaj from the very beginning. This time, we decided to turn the tables on them. Beginning the construction work of the memorial at a time when BMC elections are round the corner will be a shot in the arm for the BJP," said a senior party leader, requesting anonymity.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, meanwhile, held a meeting with party legislators and vibhag pramukhs (area incharges) where, according to sources, he asked his cadres to "show of their strength" during Modi's visit to Girgaum Chowpatty and also at the BKC Ground.
A Sena leader said that Shiv Sainiks in large numbers will be present at both sites.
Meanwhile, Fadnavis termed the ceremony as a dream come true for "crores and crores of Indians and Shiv premis".