Amit Shah visits Lalbaugcha Raja: The legend of Mumbai's most famous Ganesh idol

He is mighty, he is tall and he is Mumbai's favourite Ganesh. Bow your heads before Lalbaugcha Raja.Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid a visit to the famous deity on Monday during a two-day trip to the city with his wife and granddaughter. He was also accompanied by Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.After a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, devotees were allowed to visit the Lalbaugcha Raja. In 2021, Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal had a four-feet idol instead of the usual 14-feet one, and in 2020, for the first time in over eight decades, the festivities were cancelled.This year, Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal turns 89. It is one of the oldest pandals in Mumbai and is become part of city lore. Lakhs of devotees visit it every day during the 10-day festival.We take a look at what makes Lalbaugcha Raja such a crowd-puller.History The Ganesh idol of the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal was founded in 1934 at the Lalbaug Market in Mumbai’s Parel.The entire area of Lalbaug had more than 100 textile mills back in the day and the sarvajanik Ganesh celebrations were organised by local traders and fishermen. According to a report by The Economic Times, as industrialisation peaked in the 1930s, the textile industry saw drastic changes which affected the livelihoods of people working at the mills.[caption id="attachment_11186521" align="alignnone" width="640"] The Ganesh idol is 14-feet tall. Image Courtesy: Lalbaugcha Raja[/caption]Legend has it that when the economically distressed traders prayed to Lord Ganesh to help them get over the hard times, the community managed to resume their businesses. They were granted a plot of land, currently known as the Lalbaug market.Locals believed that it was only through the blessings of Ganpati that they were able to sail through the tough times. After all, he is called the "sukhakarta dukhaharta", the god who brings joy and makes your sorrows go away. The community then decided to reserve a portion of the land for yearly celebrations for the elephant-headed god.Locals called the Ganesh idol at the Lalbaug market a ‘raja’ or king of the locality. He came to be known as the wish-granting Ganesh. Over the years, devotees from Mumbai and across India started thronging the pandal, praying to the Lalbaugcha Raja to grant them their wishes.Over the years, as the legend stayed on, the grandiosity of the celebrations increased.A legacy that has continued through the yearsThe Kambli family has been making the Lalbaugcha Raja idol since 1935.It started with Madhusudan D Kambli, who was the first one to be commissioned to sculpt the murti. It then became a family tradition. After his death, his eldest son Venkatesh started making the idol in 1952.  Since 2002, Madhusudan D Kambli's grandson Ratnakar Kambli has been the man behind the famous Ganesh. He is 81 now and is assisted by his son Santosh.Also read: Ganesh Chaturthi 2022: Anand Mahindra calls Lalbaugcha Raja 'heart and soul of Mumbai'Ratnakar and his elder brother took charge of the business when their father passed away in 1952. According to a report by rediff.com, the Kambli family has ensured that some of the features of the idol remain the same – the ‘bhav’ or expression in Bappa’s eyes, the face, and even the idol’s body which resembles a human figure.During its inception, the idol was five feet tall. However, as the space occupied by the pandal expanded over the years, the height increased. For decades, it is fixed at 14 feet.Donations made to Lalbaughcha RajaEach year the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal receives donations in the form of gold, silver and cash.According to a report by mid-day, until the second day of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival this year, the pandal received over Rs 36.30 lakh in donations. The treasurer of Lalbaugcha Raja mandal, Mangesh Dalvi, said, “We have got currencies of various countries but most of them are U.S dollar. While we usually calculate and keep account of the Indian currency cash on a daily basis, the foreign currencies are calculated either on the last day or after the festival.”He further said that within two days of festivities the idol also received over 4.85 kg of silver and over 2.5 kg of gold in the form of necklace, modak and other forms of ornaments.In 2019, which was the last time the Ganeshotsav was celebrated before the pandemic in Mumbai, the mandal collected a total of Rs 6.05 crore in cash, 4,200 kg of gold and 80 kg of silver, according to The Hindu.Arrangements for visitorsAs organisers expect huge numbers of footfall each year, proper arrangements are made to ensure every devotee gets a chance to seek blessings from the deity.Depending on how close a person wants to be to the idol, the mandal offers two types of queues: Mukh Darshan and Navasachi lines. While the Mukh Darshan line is for those who want to see the idol from a distance, the Navasachi line is for those who want to go closer to the idol to touch its feet.According to a report by CNN Traveller, the waiting time in the Mukh Darshan line can range from six to seven hours and for the Navasachi line, it can go up to 12 to 15 hours.The security arrangements made at the pandal are very strict to avoid any untoward incident. This year there are around 258 CCTV cameras on the premises.The pandal also witnesses the heaviest police deployment. According to a report by Indian Express, Sudhir Salvi, secretary of the mandal, said, “All security and fire safety measures have been taken... Over 5,000 volunteers will help to manage the crowd this year.”Talking about this year’s arrangements, Bala Kamble, president of the mandal, said, “We will ensure that everyone gets the darshan of Lalbaugcha Raja. The mandal has set up big mandaps for people coming for darshan. We have made sitting arrangements for women, senior citizens, and children. There is 24-hour water available for visitors and we also serve tea and biscuits from time to time."Over two crore visitors expected Organisers are expecting over two crore devotees to visit Lalbaugcha Raja this year. According to a report by mid-day, the pandal records around 25 lakh devotees each day.Last year, as in-person visits were not allowed, the mandal said that as per data, around 34,61,368 devotees took darshan of Lalbaugcha Raja through online mode, according to an ANI report.The grand visarjan At the end of the 10-day long festivities, when the time comes to finally bid adieu to Lord Ganesh, Lalbaugcha Raja’s visarjan ceremony is grand.The ritual starts at around 10 am and is continued until the next day. Before finally immersing the 14-feet tall idol, it is taken around the city.Lalbaugcha Raja brings together people from both Hindu and Muslim communities. The idol’s procession takes some time to pass from Bhendi Bazaar and Muhammad Ali Road in Byculla as Muslims throng the streets to perform aarti and shower garlands on Lord Ganesh, according to Hindustan Times.The procession then moves to Girgaum Chowpatty, where it is immersed in the Arabian Sea.Amit Shah’s visitUnion Home Minister Amit Shah landed in Mumbai on Sunday night. He visited Lalbaugcha Raja on Monday morning.As per media reports, Shah’s visit to the city during the ongoing Ganesh festival comes ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls that are expected to be held this month or in October.Other celebrity visits to Lalbaugcha RajaIn the past, the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal has welcomed many celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn and Sachin Tendulkar.The last time Amitabh Bachchan went to Lalbaugcha Raja was in 2019 when he was also accompanied by the Ambani family.[caption id="attachment_11184501" align="alignnone" width="640"] Amitabh Bachchan with his son Abhishek at Lalbaugcha Raja. ANI[/caption]In 2017, actor Ajay Devgn visited the pandal. In the same year, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was spotted at Lalbaugcha Raja with his family, a tradition that the family follows every year.[caption id="attachment_11184521" align="alignnone" width="640"] Sachin Tendulkar and his wife Anjali at Lalbaugcha Raja. Image Courtesy: @LalbaugchaRaja/Twitter[/caption]This year, politicians like Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray have paid a visit to Lalbaugcha Raja.The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray offered prayers at the iconic Ganesh pandal on Sunday.While the former chief minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray visited Lalbaugcha Raja on the first day of Ganeshotsav with his wife and son Aditya Thackeray.With inputs from agenciesRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.