Ganpati Utsav 2020: Mumbai's famous Lalbaughcha Raja to not keep Ganesh idol this year

The most famous Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, which occurs in Lalbaug, will not keep Ganesh idol this time in view of the coronavirus pandemic, revealed Lalbaug Cha Raja Ganpati Mandal.

A huge crowd of devotees gathered at Lalbagh to witness the unveiling of the most popular Sarvajanik Ganapati idols in Mumbai. However, this time, Mumbai being the COVID-19 hotspot in the country, could witness a scaling down of celebrations on a massive scale as cases continue to rise rapidly. 

Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal stated that it will conduct blood donation & plasma therapy drives for the entirety of the 11-day of the festival.

"Mumbai`s Lalbaughcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal has decided that they will not celebrate Ganeshotsav this time in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. They will not establish Lord Ganapati`s idol and will do social work for those 11 days of festivities," the officials said.

"A blood donation camp, plasma donation camp will be set up at the same place. Also, they will honour the families of martyrs who have sacrificed their lives at the LoC or LAC borders. This is the first time in the history of Lalbaughcha Raja that Ganpati Idol will not be established," the officials added.

The Ganesh Chaturthi festival starts on August 22, 2020.  It is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

 It is a festival that starts on the fourth day of Hindu luni-solar calendar month Bhadrapada.

The houses and places of worship usually wear a festive look with people offering prayers to the Ganesh idols. Hundreds of people throng the temples, decorated with flowers and colourful lights, to pray to the elephant-headed Hindu god.

However, the coronavirus pandemic is likely to put a damper on the festivities owing to the pandemic.

Maharashtra is the worst-affected state in the country and has recorded 1,74,761 cases of the country's total 5,85,493 COVID-19 infections. The death toll in the state stands at 7855 while 1,7494 have succumbed to the disease in the country. 

(With ANI inputs)