For the first time in memory, Lalbaugcha Raja visarjan delayed by more than 12 hours after challenges with high tide and struggles with the new ramp set up aid immersion
Devotees wait for the tide to recede on Sunday evening so the Lalbaugcha Raja visarjan can proceed at Chowpatty. PICS/SHADAB KHAN
Sunday marked the first time that Lalbaugcha Raja’s immersion at Chowpatty was delayed by over 12 hours. The visarjan eventually occurred around 9.15 pm. According to the Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal, heavy rain delayed the ritual, and the procession reached the beach in Girgaon just 15 minutes after the high tide had begun. The trolley then got stuck in the sand and was removed only in the afternoon.
Mandal president Sudhir Salvi told mid-day on Sunday evening that the idol would be immersed after 10.30 pm as thousands of devotees waited at Chowpatty to bid farewell to Lalbaugcha Raja. He added that everyone was trying their best to carry out the visarjan as soon as possible. Members of the Koli community, along with the Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal, kept a vigil on the idol until the visarjan.
According to the mandal, when devotees reached Chowpatty at 8 am on Sunday, the high tide had already begun in the Arabian Sea, making immersion unsafe. During the first attempt, in the morning, the idol’s trolley got stuck in the sand, and the heavy rainfall made it impossible to continue. The idol, along with the trolley, remained stuck in the water till late afternoon. Mandal karyakartas supported the idol in the water for several hours. By late evening, they managed to remove it from the sea. The Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal has apologised to devotees for the delay and thanked the Mumbai police for their support.
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