09 June,2026 02:13 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Pic/Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal
The Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal on Tuesday formally began preparations for Ganeshotsav 2026 by conducting its traditional Ganesh Muhurta Pujan, marking the commencement of activities for one of Maharashtra's most prominent public Ganesh festivals.
The Mandal will celebrate its 93rd year in 2026. Ganeshotsav is scheduled to begin on September 14 and conclude on September 25 with Anant Chaturdashi.
The Ganesh Muhurta Pujan was performed at 5 am by Mandal president Balasaheb Kamble. As part of the annual tradition, the Mandal's receipt books were also ceremonially worshipped by treasurer Mangesh Dattaram Dalvi.
The ritual is considered the formal beginning of preparations for the festival, which attracts devotees from across the country and abroad every year.
A customary foot worship ceremony was conducted at the Hanuman Temple on Lalbaugcha Raja Marg. The ritual is regarded as an important part of the Mandal's annual preparations and symbolises the start of the idol-making process.
The ceremony has been observed for decades and continues to be one of the key traditions associated with the festival's preparations.
Following the completion of the rituals, work on the Lalbaugcha Raja idol for the 2026 festival officially began. The idol will once again be sculpted by the Kambli family, which has been associated with the creation of the idol for several decades.
Lalbaugcha Raja is among the most visited Ganesh idols in Maharashtra, drawing millions of devotees during the 11-day festival each year.
The annual Muhurta Pujan is held several months before Ganesh Chaturthi and serves as the official start of festival preparations. With Tuesday's ceremony completed, the Mandal has initiated the process leading up to Ganeshotsav 2026, which will be celebrated from September 14 to September 25.
Ganeshotsav, one of Maharashtra's most significant cultural and religious festivals, will be celebrated across India and by Indian communities worldwide from September 14 with great devotion and enthusiasm. Dedicated to Lord Ganesha, the deity revered as the remover of obstacles and the god of wisdom, prosperity, and new beginnings, the festival holds deep spiritual, social, and cultural importance.
The public celebration of Ganeshotsav traces its origins to 1893, when freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak transformed the festival into a community event to promote social unity and national consciousness. Since then, it has evolved into one of the country's largest public festivals, particularly in Maharashtra.
