Mumbai's iconic Lalbaugcha Raja to eschew Ganpati idol; announces blood & plasma donation

A week after Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray appealed to the Ganesh mandals across the state to have a low-key celebration this year in view of Coronavirus pandemic, Mumbai's most popular Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal has announced that they will not keep a Ganesh idol this year. The committee said that the Mandal will instead conduct blood and plasma donation drives for the 10 days of Ganeshotsav.

Last week, Mumbai cha Raja Mandal of Ganesh Gully, Lalbaug had informed that it will celebrate Ganeshotsav in a simple way and their idol will be just 4-feet-tall, which will be immersed in an artificial pond.

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CM Uddhav's appeal for Ganesh Chaturthi

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray last week called for a simple and low-key Ganpati festival celebration this year in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, and asked Ganesh mandals to undertake social welfare programmes. CM Thackeray said the threat of Coronavirus is not yet over and therefore, it will not be possible to celebrate the Ganesh festival with the usual pomp and gaiety. He said there should be no crowding or processions during the festival.

The 10-day festival begins on 'Ganesh Chaturthi', which falls on August 22 this year. Ganeshotsav is the most popular festival in Maharashtra. The pandals set up by various mandals in Mumbai and other places in the state attract thousands of devotees during the 10-day festivities.

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During a video conference with various Ganesh mandals, CM Thackeray had said: "We need to decide how we can celebrate the festival in a simple way. Under the 'Mission Begin Again', we have to take every step cautiously. Our culture and traditions should not be affected, but we should also remember our social responsibility. We need to chalk out programmes accordingly," CM Thackeray said. He appealed to all the Ganesh mandals to cooperate with the government in view of the present situation.

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Maharashtra's COVID-19 tally

The number of recovered patients from the novel Coronavirus disease in Maharashtra surpassed 90,000 on Tuesday in a piece of encouraging news even as new infections continue to rise substantially. The state health department informed that 1,951 COVID-19 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the aggregate to 90,911.

Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state jumped to 1,74,761 after 4,878 new cases of the disease were reported. The death toll rose by a staggering 245, of which 95 deaths occurred in the last 48 hours and rest 150 are from the previous period, to touch 7,855. In state capital Mumbai, 893 people were diagnosed with COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel Coronavirus, on Tuesday, taking the aggregate to 77,658.

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