Mumbai: So, what are the hordes of devotees thinking as they stand in serpentine queues for a darshan of Lalbaugcha Raja?
Obviously, it is not as complicated as the calculations for a moon landing. In a nutshell, what the worshippers are thinking could broadly be summed up in the entreaty: ‘Please fulfil our wishes.’
Some, however, are not satisfied with this the power of the prayer. To ensure that the God of scribes grants them exactly what they want, they have been writing letters, specifying the exact outcome they desire.
A member of the Lalbaugcharaja mandal says, on a daily basis they find nearly 60-70 letters in the handi (pot) as offerings. A sampling throws up some pretty specific requests: ‘Beer bar licence should get approved’ and ‘Want a beautiful girl in marriage’.
“It is something new we have begun finding in the handis, as till now, devotees have been offering gold, silver or cash to bappa, but this time, we were surprised to find letters,” said one of the members.
Other letters are from students who want the removal of all hurdles to clear the IIT, JEE, IAS exams, among others. “Touchingly, some letters are from agonised devotees who want bappa to solve their problems or simply confide in him,” he added.
When devotees are asked if writing letters to their favourite deity isa good idea, some of them said they stand in line for many hours to bow before Ganpati, but just when they reach their destination, the security staff pushes them away.
They don't get more than two-three seconds in front of Lalbaugcha Raja. So now, the devotees have now a found a novel way to appeal. “This idea is not new.
I too have done such things before. This time, I have requested Ganpati to give me a healthy and wealthy life, since for the past few years, I have faced health and financial problems,” said Parinay Kantharia, a resident of Koparkhairne.
