Donation boxes open, cash, gold, silver spill out: Scenes at Lalbaugcha Raja - The Indian Express

In the first three days of Ganeshotsav, Mumbai’s iconic Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh Mandal has received donations worth Rs 3.18 crore in cash, including US dollars, gold, and silver jewellery. Lalbaugcha Raja is one of Mumbai’s famous Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandals, attracting lakhs of devotees every year and regularly frequented by Bollywood biggies, politicians, and business tycoons during the 10-day festival.

Earlier this week, on the first day of the festival, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the puja mandal with his family. The Ambanis, Shah Rukh Khan, his son AbRam, and actor Ranveer Singh were also spotted taking blessings at the Lalbaugcha.

With the footfall comes donations — in crores.

The donation boxes are opened every day after the puja rituals. According to the Lalbaugcha managing committee, the mandal received Rs 1.9 crore in cash in the first three days of the festival.

It also received 647.47 grams of gold worth Rs 98.9 lakh, and around 12,389 grams of silver worth Rs 30.35 lakh. The total valuation of the donation stands at Rs 3.18 crore.

In the first three days of Ganeshotsav, Mumbai’s iconic Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh Mandal has received donations worth Rs 3.18 crore in cash, including US dollars, gold, and silver jewellery.

🔗https://t.co/cdXdGhEfS2 pic.twitter.com/wCNQHvBzPy

The gold and silver donated to the Lalbaugcha include gold bangles, chains, silver pens, silver-carved cricket bats and more. The foreign exchange currencies are yet to be valued as per the day’s ongoing exchange rates.

On the first day, the temple had received Rs 48.5 lakh in cash, 66.77 grams of gold and 2806 grams of silver. The next day, on September 16, the donation box contained Rs 88.9 lakh in cash, 226.12 grams of gold and 5,516 grams of silver.

On September 17, the mandal retrieved Rs 53 lakh in cash, 354.58 grams of gold and 4,067 grams of silver.

“The donation boxes are being opened and scrutinized by a team comprising officials of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), members of Bank of Maharashtra and the managing committee member of the Lalbaugcha Raja trust. The money received will be sent to the bank and will be used for various charitable works that are carried out by the organisation throughout the year,” a member of the trust told the Indian Express.

The Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations started on September 14, and the 10-day-long festival will continue until Friday, September 25.

Pratip Acharya is a seasoned journalist based in Mumbai reporting for The Indian Express. With a career spanning over a decade, his work demonstrates strong Expertise and Authority in critical urban issues, civic affairs, and electoral politics across Eastern and Western India. Expertise & Authority Current Role: Journalist, The Indian Express (IE), reporting from Mumbai. Core Authority: Pratip's reporting focuses sharply on local democracy and development, specializing in: Urban Governance and Civic Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis of municipal decision-making, city planning, and local infrastructure, essential for informed urban reporting. City Politics and Environment: Covering the political dynamics of Mumbai and surrounding areas, alongside critical environmental challenges impacting the metro region. Electoral Coverage (High-Stakes Experience): He has extensive experience in high-stakes political reporting, having covered major elections, establishing his Trustworthiness in political analysis: National: Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019. State: West Bengal Assembly elections in 2016 and Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2019. Major Assignments (Ground Reporting): Pratip demonstrated commitment during crises by conducting ground reporting throughout the Covid-19 pandemic since its breakout in 2020, offering first-hand accounts and analysis of the public health crisis. Experience Extensive Experience: Starting his career in 2014, Pratip has built his foundation across multiple prominent English dailies: Started at The Times of India in Kolkata (2014). Relocated to Mumbai (2016) and worked with The Free Press Journal and Hindustan Times before joining The Indian Express. Pratip Acharya's diverse experience across major publications, coupled with his specialized focus on the intricate details of urban governance and a track record of covering major electoral and health crises, establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for news from India's critical metropolitan centres. ... Read More