Lalbaugcha Raja’s immersion was delayed for the first time in history. Here's why

For the first time in recent memory, the immersion of the iconic Lalbaugcha Raja idol was delayed significantly, leaving thousands of devotees waiting through the day at Girgaon Chowpatty on Sunday. The final immersion Lalbaugcha Raja, Mumbai's most iconic Ganpati idol, immersed late Sunday evening after delay of more than 12 hours. Traditionally the immersion takes place before 9 am.

According to officials, the idol reached Girgaon Chowpatty more than eight hours earlier, after a grand 28-hour-long procession that began from Lalbaug on Saturday afternoon. However, despite several attempts, the immersion could not be carried out in the morning as planned.

Why the immersion was delayed?

The immersion of Lalbaugcha's Raja was delayed for several factors including technical glitches and tidal conditions.


The rising high tide, which reached 4.42 metres around 11:40 am, made it impossible to safely maneuver the massive idol into the sea.


Honorary secretary of the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, Sudhir Salavi, explained that the idol’s arrival was slightly delayed, coinciding with the onset of the high tide. Initial attempts to move the idol onto a raft proved unsuccessful, as the strong water surge destabilized the platform carrying the idol. The situation forced organizers to pause operations and wait for the tide to recede.

At one point, the water level rose to the idol’s waist, causing the platform to float and making it difficult to align with the raft meant to take it into deeper waters. For nearly three hours, volunteers and local fishermen struggled in shallow waters to keep the idol balanced and steady.

Finally, at 4:45 pm, after hours of uncertainty, the idol was carefully shifted onto a specially built raft with the help of hundreds of volunteers. The successful transfer triggered thunderous chants of “Ganpati Bappa Morya” and “Lalbaugcha Rajacha Vijay Aso” from the sea of devotees who had been anxiously waiting.