Ganeshotsav 2025 begins on Wednesday, 27 August, and Mumbai's most prestigious Ganpati pandal, ‘Lalbaugcha Raja’, is all set and decorated. A first glimpse of the famous Ganesh pandal ‘Lalbaugcha Raja’ was revealed on Sunday evening, before Ganesh Chaturthi. This year, the pavilion is themed around Lord Tirupati Balaji. The pavilion looks like a golden palace, with the enthroned Bappa appearing extremely captivating and divine. Bappa's chakra in his hand, the attractive crown on his head, and the purple dhoti make this year's idol special.
This is the 92nd year of Lalbaugcha Raja. This nearly century-old Ganesh mandal is famous not only in India but also worldwide. Every year, lakhs of devotees come here for darshan. From Bollywood stars to big leaders and industrialists, everyone comes here to see Bappa.
Famous as ‘Navsala Pavnara Ganpati’ (the Ganpati who fulfils wishes), Lalbaugcha Raja holds such reverence that people wait a whole year to catch a glimpse. This year, the grand darshan of Lalbaugcha Raja will begin on 27 August. The Lalbaugcha Raja darshan will be open 24 hours. To avoid crowds, devotees are advised to visit early in the morning or late at night. The crowds are especially large on holidays.
This year, Ganeshotsav will be celebrated from 27 August (Ganesh Chaturthi) to 6 September (Anant Chaturdashi). The grand immersion procession of Lalbaugcha Raja will take place on the streets of South Mumbai on Anant Chaturdashi, usually lasting until the next day, 7 September.
The nearest railway station to reach the Lalbaugcha Raja pandal is Chinchpokli station in Mumbai, which is on the Central Line, and from there the pandal is just a 10-minute walk. From Mumbai's Lower Parel (Western Line) station, it can be reached by about a 20-25 minute walk or by cab or taxi. Alternatively, devotees coming from the Western Line can get off at Dadar station in Mumbai and go to Lalbaug via local train or taxi. Or they can catch Central Line local trains from Dadar to Chinchpokli station.
For those who cannot come to the famous Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh Mandal in Mumbai, the Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh Mandal has made arrangements for online live darshan. For this, you can watch from the comfort of your home on the official website - lalbaugcharaja.com or their YouTube channel youtube.com/@LalbaugRaja. Live updates, photos, and videos can also be viewed on the mandal's social media pages: Facebook at facebook.com/lalbaugcharajaofficial, Instagram at instagram.com/lalbaugcharaja, and X (Twitter) at x.com/lalbaugcharaja.
