For the first time in its 87-year history, ‘Lalbaugcha Raja’ will not visit Maharashtra’s Mumbai this year.
In the wake of rising coronavirus cases in the state, Lalbaughcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal on Wednesday, July 1, decided not to hold Ganeshotsav in 2020.
The organisers announced that the larger-than-life festivities associated with the iconic Ganeshotsav have been cancelled and instead a blood and plasma donation camp will be set up in the place of Lord Ganesh idol this time for all 11 days.
लालबागचा राजा सार्वजनिक गणेशोत्सव मंडळसन २०२० लालबागचा राजाचा गणेशोत्सव साजरा न करता करोनाचा प्रादुर्भाव लक्षात घेता भाविकांसाठी सदर वर्षी लालबागचा राजा ‘आरोग्य उत्सव’ साजरा करणार आहे. @OfficeofUT @CMOMaharashtra @AUThackeray @kishoripednekar @AnilDeshmukhNCP@MumbaiPolice pic.twitter.com/m7W2Nh7Bhs
— Lalbaugcha Raja (@LalbaugchaRaja) July 1, 2020
‘In view of the coronavirus pandemic this year, the Mandal has decided to hold blood donation and plasma donation Camp for 11 days instead of installing a Ganapati idol,’ said Lalbaughcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal treasurer Mangesh Dalvi.
A blood donation camp and an awareness camp to promote plasma donation will be organised that would be in the greater good of the society during the time of crisis.
‘We will also felicitate the families of policemen and army men who gave their lives for the country. We are also donating Rs 25 lakh to the Chief Minister’s Fund for fighting the pandemic,’ said Sudhir Salvi, secretary of the Lalbaug Mandal, reported NDTV.
Mr Salvi also stated that they will not be placing any idol to prevent crowding amidst coronavirus outbreak.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had recently thanked all religious communities for showing restraint during the lockdown that included several festivals.
Urging people of the state to follow the lockdown guidelines, the Chief Minister had said despite the efforts, the crisis was not over yet.
Maharashtra is the worst affected state in the country as far as the number of cases and deaths are concerned due to the coronavirus outbreak. Of the 5,86,959 cases across India, Maharashtra alone as accounted for 1,74,761 infections. As many as 7,855 people in the state have succumbed to the illness so far out of the overall 17,417 death toll.
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