Lalbaugcha Raja was immersed in the Arabian Sea at Girgaon Chowpatty at 10.46 am on Saturday, concluding a 21-hour visarjan procession through Mumbai. The immersion took place before the city’s forecast high tide of 4.27 metres at 11.31 am, according to the latest tide forecast cited in the report.
The iconic idol began its journey on Friday and reached Chowpatty as thousands of devotees gathered along the procession route. The timing was significant because the immersion was completed ahead of the high-tide window, after last year’s immersion was delayed amid high-tide conditions.
The procession moved through packed streets, with the massive idol carried on a platform and covered in pink gulal. Devotees danced, joined the procession and showered one another with gulal as the idol made its way towards the seafront. Reliance Industries Executive Director and Vantara founder Anant Ambani was also seen participating in the procession.
Lalbaugcha Raja’s visarjan is among Mumbai’s largest annual religious processions and is known for its scale and duration. The idol traditionally reaches Chowpatty in the early hours following Anant Chaturdashi, drawing devotees from across the country, including public figures and celebrities.
The mandal was established in 1934 by members of the Koli community along with mill workers and traders from the Lalbaug market, when the area was a major centre of Mumbai’s textile industry. The idol has been sculpted by the Kambli family for generations. It is popularly known as the “Navsacha Ganpati”, reflecting the belief among devotees that wishes and vows made before the idol are fulfilled.
Large crowds, particularly devotees seeking Charan Sparsh Darshan, have often resulted in long queues. The idol is also kept on display throughout the 11-day Ganeshotsav, making the procession a major annual gathering in central Mumbai and at Girgaon Chowpatty.
The latest 12th-day immersion report said 34,806 Ganesh idols had been immersed across Mumbai by 9 am on Saturday. The figure included 6,604 public idols, 27,649 household idols and 553 Gauri idols. No untoward incident had been reported during the immersion process until 9 am, according to the report.
