The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi – celebrated as the birthday of the elephant-headed god, Ganesha – is celebrated with much fervor in the state of Maharashtra, especially in Mumbai. Craftsmen making Ganesha idols start their work almost three months prior to the festival. One that stands out from the crowd of Ganpatis (Ganesh idols) is the city’s beloved “Lalbaughcha Raja,” or the emperor of Lalbaug.
The pandal for the prayers that is organized by the “emperor’s” organizing committee, theLalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal is visited each year by huge crowds of devotees. “People believe that whatever you wish for here is granted,” says Ashok Maruti Pawar, president of the committee.
The tradition of “Lalbaugcha Raja” dates back to 1934. Since then, the 12-foot idol has become known for its unique artwork and the “aarti” (or the evening prayers).
Santosh Kambli, whose family has been making the idol of “Lalbaugcha Raja” since 1935 and is now in its third generation of Raja sculptors, says: “If you see the Lalbaugcha Raja, the idol is made very much like human figure. It does justice to the mythological story of how Lord Ganesha was a human figure and he got an elephant head. Thus, if you see, the proportion of this idol and the physique is very human-like.”
Mr. Kambli’s family tries to do something unique each year by, for instance, changing the Raja’s sitting position or the position of the hands. They keep each iteration a closely guarded secret until the festival. This, Mr. Kambli says, is so that “no one can copy our ideas.”
Another aspect that differentiates the Lalbaugcha Raja from other idols is the way it is made. Mr. Kambli says other idols are made at various workshops in the city and then taken to their respective pandals. But in Raja’s case, the idol is made at the pandal. It takes two months to make the plaster idol. Mr. Kambli says his family views it as an act of devotion. He declined to reveal the cost.
In the last few years, celebrities including Sachin Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan have visited this pandal. “During the 10-day festival that the Raja is there, we see a crowd of almost 10 million,” says Mr. Pawar of the organizing committee.
Manoj Aher, who works as a security guard, says he visited the pandal five years ago as part of the throng that visits for all 10 days of the festival before the idol is immersed in the sea.
“It is so crowded that sometimes it takes a wait of one full day to get your turn to worship the God and seek blessings closely from his throne,” he adds.
