Ganesh Chaturthi 2022: Lalbaugcha Raja idol unveiled as festival returns after pandemic hiatus

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The festival is celebrated with special enthusiasm in Maharashtra, where the Lalbaugcha Raja draws tourists from all corners of the state and also the country, who come here to witness the scale of reverence for the mighty lord and also seek his blessings.

The Lalbaugcha Raja draws tourists from all corners of the state and also the country. (Express photo by Pradip Das)

Ganesh — an affable cosmic figure — is popularly believed to bring his devotees prosperity and wisdom by removing the obstacles from their life path and blessing them in abundance.

Coming back to Lalbaugcha Raja, it is said to be Mumbai’s most famous and iconic Ganesh idol, which has even been depicted in films. ‘Lalbaugcha Raja’ literally means ‘The King of Lalbaug’, and the idol is meant for the general public to come and seek blessings from. It is kept at Lalbaug, which is a locality in Mumbai.

It is said to be Mumbai’s most famous and iconic Ganesh idol. (Express photo by Pradip Das)

This year, the city unveiled the first glimpse of the 14-feet idol, ahead of the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi that begins on August 31. It is the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic — two years of it — that celebrations will resume on a large scale, like they used to happen pre-pandemic.

In 2020, for instance, it was agonising for devotees who could not touch the feet of the idol, as the Lalbaughcha Raja did not have one. In 2021, the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal made a 4-feet idol instead of the usual 14-feet one.

Lalbaugcha Raja is an idol of the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal. (Express photo by Pradip Das)

As such, there is a palpable excitement among people, who are looking to partake in the festivities, which have been happening for decades now.

More facts about the Lalbaugcha Raja idol

Lalbaugcha Raja is an idol of the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, which was founded in 1934 at Lalbaug Market by Koli community fishermen.

Interestingly, there are said to be two queues in place for people to seek ‘darshan‘ of Lord Ganesh: the Navsachi Line and the Mukh Darshan Achi Line.

Devotees have to wait many hours and brave long queues so as to catch a glimpse of the Ganesh idol and touch His feet. (Express photo by Pradip Das)

The former is for devotees who ask for their wishes to be fulfilled. For this, they go to the stage, touch the idol’s feet, and seek blessings; many well-known faces — politicians and celebrities alike — are often seen doing this every year.

The latter is meant for ‘mukh darshan‘ only — that is to witness the regalia of the idol without going to the stage.

It can take many punishing hours for people to get close to the idol, owing to the long queues, but they do it for their absolute devotion to the lord.

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