Upset Over Not Visiting Lalbaugcha Raja Amid Covid? Here's How to Get Your Favourite 'Bappa' Home

Second Ganesh Chaturthi amid Covid-19, the famous Lalbaugcha Raja remains low on celebrations as 10-day Ganpati festival begins from Friday. While the organisers will open online portals for darshan from 11 am, Mumbaikars can even opt for a replica of their popular ‘Bappa’. An NGO in the financial capital has come in spotlight for their clay Lord Ganesha idols, that can be delivered at home too.

Claiming to be their ‘USP’, NGO Seveche Thayi Tatpar or STT says that their eco-friendly replica Lalbaugcha Raja are selling like hot cakes. “We provide door-to-door delivery to people and also educate them on how to immerse these eco-friendly idols at home, so that they don’t have to step out in during the coronavirus pandemic and can still celebrate the festival,” says Poonam, wife of NGO founder Satyajit Bhonsle.

The organisation has managed to sell a whopping 600 clay idols this year, a complete turnaround in sales as compared to that in 2019 where they managed a mere 75 idols. And 2020 that also saw a lukewarm response due to Covid.

Bhonsle actively worked as a volunteer at Mumbai beaches that required cleaning post visarajan, that’s when the idea of providing people with eco-friendly Ganpati struck him.

“I volunteered for cleaning beaches post immersion, we saw the material used and the chemical colours on the idol destroyed the marine life and people on social media asked me what are you doing about it. So I decided to provide them a solution rather than preaching them. And we came up with this idea of eco-Ganpati,” says Bhonsle.

After selling online, where they got a reasonably good response, he decided to take his mission forward and sell off the shelf. His mission found more people joining along the way, including his wife Poonam Bhonsle. “We have 20 design of authentic eco-friendly Ganesh idols made from natural colours from turmeric and vermilion. The material used by us is not plaster of Paris, but Multani soil for the idol which makes it a truly eco-friendly,” says Poonam.

“While 2020, struck by Covid pandemic, saw a lukewarm response, this year inspite of restrictions on festival celebration and fear of a third wave, the response has been phenomenal. We have 20 designs and a day before Ganeshotsav we are out of stock on all designs, we have managed to sell 600 pieces, which I still can’t believe. In 2019 when we started, we sold only 75 idols, didn’t expect this kind of response,” she adds.

Celebrations aside, they NGO is making sure they serve the people and follow the guidelines laid down by the government during the pandemic. All of their idols are strictly following the 2-feet norm.

The ultimate idea behind selling the idols for Bhonsle and his team is to donate the proceeds from the sale to a NGO in interiors of Maharashtra that works for the welfare of destitute people and provides and hope and care.

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