There is a Rs 14- crore insurance cover for Lalbaugcha Raja and Rs 6 crore is earmarked for expenses
STAFF REPORTER Mumbai
One of the most popular and richest Sarvajanik Ganesh deities, the Lalbaugcha Raja, is a crore
pati in every way.
The mandal will spend Rs 14 crore on insurance, apart from Rs 6 crore on expenses.
” The visitors coming to the pandal have been insured for Rs 5 crore. Last year, about one crore devotees took the Lords blessings.
The daily number would be between 10 to 20 lakh. The mandap in which the Lord would be seated has been insured for Rs 3 crore, the actual cost of raising it. Moreover, the elaborate jewellery that adorns the Lord has been insured for Rs 6 crore.
The expenses of putting up the pandal would be approximately Rs 3 crore.
” The mandal plans to spend another Rs 3 crore for lighting, water, snacks and tea, building railings and barricading roads etc.,” said Ashok Pawar, president of the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajani Ganeshotsav Mandal. As every year, the mandal has planned separate lines for devotees coming with special offerings to fulfill their wishes.
They will also be provided with water and tea.
Apart from this, the mandal also dedicates crores of rupees in public charity every year, informed Pawar.
In lieu of the recent terror attacks in the city, Pawar said, ” The threat is there every year. But devotees still come and the Raja has protected us all the way.” Security has been massively beefed up at the Lalbaugcha Raja keeping in eye the recent terror attacks in the city. Over 100 CCTV cameras would be installed in and around the pandals, including the traffic signals and other places on GD Ambedkar Marg near Sardar Hotel as well as at Yashwanti Chowk near the Deepak Jyoti Tower. The Rajas mandap and gangway will be under CCTV surveillance, 24×7. Apart from this, all the entry points and routes being used by the residents would be secured with doorframe metal detectors.
The mandal has hired 300 private security guards from Venus Securities. Also, the mandal has employed 2,500 of its own members to double up as security guards. ” Through our mandal, we have issued security warning to people not to carry more baggage. We will also set up hoardings giving suggestions to devotees for their own security,” Pawar said.
