In an effort to address the issue of reckless behaviour on the road and promote traffic safety, Mumbai Traffic Police joined forces with Marolcha Maurya, a Ganesh pandal in Mumbai. The initiative sought to harness the power of one of India’s most cherished festivals to inspire a change in how Indians approach road safety.
This Ganesh Chaturthi festival, Marolcha Maurya, with support from FCB Ulka, introduced a thought-provoking concept to draw attention to traffic safety. The centrepiece of the pandal was Lord Ganesh himself, was depicted wearing a seat belt. Additionally, his faithful vaahan, the mouse, was adorned with a bike helmet.
FCB Ulka also rewrote the popular prayer “Sukh karta, dukh harta” to incorporate the message of traffic safety. Devotees were given booklets with the revised prayer, encouraging them to sing it during the festivities. The underlying message was clear: If Lord Ganesh adheres to traffic rules, so should you.
Pravin Padwal, Joint Commissioner, Traffic Police Mumbai, praised the initiative and said, “Citizens should follow traffic rules. It is for their own safety. What I like about this Road Safety Aarti is that through a traditional tune, you get to know about the traffic rules. I hope people get inspired and start following all traffic rules all the time.”
Shailesh Khandeparkar, Executive Creative Director at FCB Ulka, said, “Most humans will do things out of fear of God. We just added our little twist to it, asking people to follow traffic rules for the love of God. And as it is based on a popular prayer, it is easily hummable, making it easy for everyone to follow the rules.”
Feedback: [email protected]
