Ganeshotsav 2020: Mumbai’s Iconic Lalbaugcha Raja Won’t be Installed This Year; Blood &Plasma Donation Camp To Replace Celebration

The iconic idol will be replaced by a small idol of around 3-4 feet will be set up for traditional puja and other ceremonies. The traditional puja will also not be opened for public, sources have said.

Lalbaugcha Raja procession at Lalbaug on September 5, 2017 in Mumbai, India. Amid tight security and religious fervour, a large number of people turned out for the immersion of Ganesha idols marking the end of 11-day long festivities. (Photo by Pratik Chorge/ Getty Images)

Lalbaughcha Raja 2020: In a first, Mumbai’s iconic and famed Lalbaugcha Raja will not be installed during the upcoming 11-day Ganesh Chaturthi Utsav, official sources said on Wednesday. Mumbai's Lalbaughcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal has decided not to hold Ganeshotsav this time in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead of the 11-day long festivity, a blood & plasma donation camp will be set up in its place, the committee has said. As per a report by IANS, it will be replaced by a small idol of around 3-4 feet will be set up for traditional puja and other ceremonies. The traditional puja will also not be opened for public sources have said. It is said that around one crore people gather every year to participate in Mumbai's famous Ganesh Utsav celebrations. Watch here the detailed report/ scroll down to continue reading Usually the idol is an imposing 15-feet plus tall statue of Lalbaugcha Raja. Other mega-idols in Mumbai, Pune and other cities will be conspicuous by their absence in the Maharashtra Ganeshotsav celebration starting August 22. Few days ago, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had appealed to celebrate Ganeshotsav 2020 with more devotion and lesser of pomp and show, as Coronavirus pandemic continues to cause a  mayhem in the state. In view of Thackeray''s plea, all Ganeshotsav Mandals in the state, especially those which are renowned for the giant-sized idols, took a voluntary decision to restrict the height of Ganesha to less than four feet. Also Watch: Why Patanjali changed the claim over Coronil | Ghanti Bajao