Lalbaug mandal richer by Rs 6.4 crore, 5 kg gold

Officials of the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav mandal count take stock of money and jewellery received from devotees on Sunday. (Photo: Shripad Naik)

As expected, the Lalbaugcha Raja has been left richer by Rs 6.4 crore, over 5 kg of gold and 79 kg of silver. These were received by the Lalbaugcha trust in the form of offerings to the God during the 11-day long Ganesh festival this year.

Being the most popular mandal in the city, Lalbaugcha Raja has received several unique gold and silver items, including a small silver model of the Mumbai Metro, a small silver Ganesh idol, a house in gold, several modaks, gold chains, and gold paduka (foot imprints). It has also received a total of four bikes as offerings, two geared bikes and two non-geared bikes. The trust will auction these items Monday.

The trust intends to put this money to use as charity, which is the ritual every year. Balasaheb Kamble, who is the president of Lalbaugcha Raja trust, said, “We have several medical aid and education aid programmes for Mumbaikars who come from humble backgrounds. We will channelise this money to good use there.”

Meanwhile, the trust has not yet confirmed if it will undertake any fresh social programmes this year, but Mr Kamble said depending on the amount of money received from the auctions, it will chalk out other social aid programmes as well.

“We run a dialysis centre, a medical charity programme, and also fund school and college education for several Mumbaikars. We run an employment generation programme, where we give youth jobs at various form filling counters, or as teachers in our private coaching classes. These require funds,” said Mr Kamble.

The trust has received a total of 5.9 kg of gold, 79.6 kg of silver, and Rs 6.4 crore in three donation boxes placed at various places in the pandal. The donation box carried around on the immersion day itself generated a total of Rs 8.75 lakh.

It took the trust about three days after the immersion to count all the money and take stock of the items received by the mandal this year. The counting procedure concluded only Sunday evening. Mahesh Jadhav, who is the treasurer of the Lalbaugcha Raja trust, said, “It took over 50 people working everyday for three days, to take stock of the offerings. We have now packed the cash and the items, which will be auctioned on Monday.”