The Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal hosted its much-anticipated auction of donated items on Thursday, drawing enthusiastic participation from devotees across Mumbai and beyond.
Among the first successful bidders was Nagesh Desai, a resident of Mulund, who purchased a 56-gram silver Ganpati idol for Rs 50,000, after bidding opened at Rs 5,000.
“I wanted to be the first to win something in the auction, and I was ready to bid any amount for it,” Desai told mid-day.com.
In another notable sale, Suyog Warde from Goregaon bid Rs 38,000 to acquire a silver `mooshak (mouse)` on behalf of his uncle Anil Mhatre, fulfilling a personal vow.
“My uncle asked me to bring home a mooshak from Lalbaugcha Raja at any cost, and I did that,” Warde shared.
Jayshree Shah of Borivali successfully bid Rs 41,000 for a 244-gram silver modak, another highly sought-after item in the auction.
Meanwhile, two friends, Rajendra Chavan from Lalbaug and Suresh Jaswani from Ulhasnagar, jointly purchased a silver gada (mace) for Rs 25,000, while Dilip Andhale from Tardeo took home a silver coconut for Rs 35,000.
Ashok Choradiya, a Panvel resident, won a large silver modak with a bid of Rs 61,000, which is the highest among the day’s sales so far.
The annual auction, held after the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations conclude, is a long-standing tradition at Lalbaugcha Raja, with proceeds supporting community and charitable activities organised by the mandal.
