24 September,2026 12:01 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The visarjan of Lalbaugcha Raja is scheduled for Friday, September 25. File Pic
The Lalbaugcha Raja immersion procession is scheduled to take place on the morning of Friday, September 25, as Mumbai prepares for the culmination of the Ganeshotsav 2026 celebrations.
Devotees planning to visit the pandal on Thursday have instead been given phased darshan queue closure timings ahead of Ganesh Visarjan 2026.
According to a post shared by the mandal on its official Instagram handle, the Charan Sparsh Darshan queue will close at 6 am on Thursday, September 24.
The Charan Sparsh queue allows devotees to touch the idol's feet. The Mukh Darshan queue, which allows devotees to view Lalbaugcha Raja without touching the idol, will remain open until 11.59 pm on Thursday.
The phased closure of the queues is being carried out to facilitate preparations for the Ganesh Visarjan 2026.
As the visarjan of Lalbaugcha Raja is scheduled for Friday, September 25, the exact start time of the immersion procession has not been specified in the announcement cited above.
The procession is expected to draw large crowds to the Lalbaug-Parel area, where devotees traditionally gather to bid farewell to the idol at the conclusion of Ganeshotsav.
Devotees visiting the pandal on Thursday should therefore take note of the 6 am closure for Charan Sparsh Darshan and the 11.59 pm closing time for Mukh Darshan.
The Lalbaugcha Raja pandal features a Gopuram-inspired entrance this year, modelled on the monumental gateways commonly associated with temples in southern India.
A large idol of Lord Shiva has been placed atop the structure. The deity is depicted holding a damaru and kamandalu, with one hand raised in a blessing gesture.
As Ganeshotsav reaches its conclusion, preparations at the pandal are underway for Lalbaugcha Raja's immersion procession on September 25.
Lalbaugcha Raja remains Mumbai's most-visited Ganpati, and its pull has far less to do with grandeur than with faith.
The mandal was established in 1934 by the fisherfolk of the Koli community along with mill workers and traders from the Lalbaug market, at a time when the area was the heart of Mumbai's textile industry.
Since then, the idol's design has stayed remarkably consistent, sculpted for generations by the Kambli family, whose distinctive style has become instantly recognisable and is now protected from imitation.
What truly separates Lalbaugcha Raja from every other pandal in the city is its title of "Navsacha Ganpati," meaning the Ganpati who fulfils vows. Generations of devotees credit personal turning points in their lives, from recoveries and job offers to marriages, to wishes made quietly before this idol.
That belief is what draws millions of people every year, including celebrities, politicians, and first-time visitors from across the country, often resulting in queue waits stretching past five hours, particularly for those seeking the 'Charan Sparsh Darshan'.
