Devotees of Ganesha got the first glimpse of Mumbai's much-awaited Lalbaugcha Raja on Friday. The event was witnessed by hundreds of devotees.
The 10 day-long festival will begin on September 19 and Lalbaugcha Raja, situated in Putlabai Chawl, is the city's one of the most revered Ganesha.
City gears up for Ganesh Chaturthi
With Ganesh Chaturthi just three days away, there is excitement in the air in Mumbai as pandals prepare to get their big idols from workshops and families gear up to bring their household idols home.
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Idol makers in the city have been working around the clock ahead of the 10-day mega festival, which begins on September 19. Sunil Panchal, who owns an idol shop in the Lalbaug area of central Mumbai, says he makes idols for 300 customers every year.
"I have customers who have been coming to me year after year. Some want their idol to be modelled after the Lalbaugcha Raja, Dagdusheth Ganpati or in the Titwala 'baithak' style. These three types of idols get sold the most," Panchal said.
Lalbaugcha Raja | Vijay Gohil
Panchal has around 400 idols in his shop, ranging from one foot to eight feet, and even entertains last-minute customers.
"There are people who come on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi or just a day before the festival to book idols, we have a stock saved for them as well," says Panchal, who has been in the business for the last 12 years.
Rajesh Peddi has been selling idols at his workshop in Lalbagh for the last 10 years and has fixed customers who have been coming to him for five years or more.
"I have fixed customers, some take the same model of Bappa home, like Lalbaghcha Raja, every year, while some want variety," he says.
(With inputs from PTI)
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