The first look of the famous Lalbaugcha Raja was unveiled on Thursday, September 5, in Mumbai. This iconic idol stands out as one of the most iconic Ganesh Chaturthi pandals in Mumbai. Established in 1934 by the Koli community, this place attracts thousands of devotees, each waiting to get a glimpse of the beloved Lalbaugcha Raja.
Also called the "Navasacha Ganpati," this pandal is organised by the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal in the Putlabai Chawl in Mumbai. For almost 80 years, the Kambli family has been sculpting the Lalbaugcha Raja Ganpati statue. Moreover, the Kambli Arts make idols every year and also own the copyright to Lalbaugcha Raja's face.
Everything you need to know about Kambli Arts
Kambli Arts, located in Chinchpokli, was started in 1920 by Ratnakar Kambli, a sculptor known for making idols for various festivals in Maharashtra. In 1935, he was asked to create the idol for Lalbaugcha Raja, and since then, his family has been making the King of Lalbaug.
Lalbaugcha Raja official website
After the demise of Ratnakar in 1952, his eldest son, Venkatesh, took over the work. Ratnakar's grandson, Ratnakar Madhusudan Kambli, became in charge in 2002, and now his great-grandson, Santosh Ratnakar Kambli, runs the business and continues the family tradition.
Santosh revealed in an interview with Rediff that everyone in the Kambli family helps make the idol, and most of them graduated from Mumbai's Sir J.J. School of Art. Although Santosh has a degree in marketing, sculpting runs in his family, and he learned how to sculpt on the job rather than through formal training.
Apart from carving the beloved Lalbaugcha Raja, Kambli Arts also makes Ganesh idols for many Bollywood celebs, including Shilpa Shetty, Remo D'Souza and others.
Lalbaugcha Raja 2024
On Thursday, September 5, Mumbai saw the official unveiling of the first glimpse of the iconic Lalbaugcha Raja. Standing out as the most famous Ganesh Chaturthi pandal in Mumbai, it is visited by over one crore devotees in 11 days, every year. Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, which marks its 91st edition this year, has planned to have a royal palace-like setting for the deity's life-size idol adorned in gold and silver accessories.
