Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: Mumbai’s renowned Lalbaugcha Raja witnessed a chaotic scene on the second day of the 10-day Ganesh Festival, as a massive crowd of devotees jostled and pushed one another to catch a glimpse of Lord Ganesha on Wednesday.
Online videos depict devotees breaking through makeshift barriers, while volunteers struggled to maintain control of the situation. Lalbaugcha Raja, one of the metropolis’s oldest and most popular mandals, attracts approximately one crore devotees, including celebrities and politicians, leading to the implementation of stringent security measures.
The history of Lalbaugcha Raja is illustrious, serving as the iconic Ganesh idol of the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, situated at Putlabai Chawl, a place of worship established in 1934. The Kambli family has cared for the Lalbaugcha Raja Ganapati idol for over eight decades. Lalbaughcha Raja provides two distinct queues for devotees: one for Mukh darshan (sight of the face), and the other for Charan Sparsh (touching the feet) or Navas darshan, allowing devotees to approach the stage and reverently touch Lord Ganesha’s feet.
In Maharashtra, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with great fervor, drawing tens of thousands of devotees to mandals in Mumbai and other parts of the state to seek blessings from Lord Ganesh. Another notable mandal in Mumbai is GSB Seva Mandal’s Ganpati in Matunga, renowned for its opulence and considered the wealthiest. The GSB Seva Mandal’s ‘Mahaganpati’ is adorned with 66.5 kilograms of gold ornaments, over 295 kilograms of silver, and various other precious items. Other famous Ganesh mandals include those in Chinchpokli, Ganesh Gully, and Tejukaya. Additionally, the city’s tallest Ganesha, standing at 45 feet in the Khetwadi area of Girgaum, is also a place of worship for devotees.
Meanwhile, Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayak Chaturthi, is a ten-day festival that commences on the fourth day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month ‘Bhadrapada,’ which began on September 19 this year.
