No celebration of Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh festival this year due to coronavirus outbreak

Mumbai, July 01: In the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak in the country, the Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh festival, India's famous and Mumbai's biggest festival, will not be celebrated this year.

Speaking to media, Mumbai's Lalbaugcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal said that this year, there will be no Lalbaugcha Raja or an idol immersion.

The authority said that instead of celebrating the festival in a grand occasion, the amount will be donated to the CM Relief Fund and hold a blood and plasma donation camp in the area where the festival is celebrated.

The mandal officials said it will celebrate this year as Arogya Utsav, as part of which several healthcare programmes will be held. They also said that the festival period will be celebrated as health festival to give priority to plasma therapy to save patients.

The officials further said that a blood and plasma donation camp will be set up for 10 days.

"Instead of celebrating Ganeshotsav in a grand way, Labaughcha Raja Mandal will donate the amount to CM's Relief Fund. We will also felicitate families of martyrs who have lost their lives at LoC and LAC," said Sudhir Salvi, secretary of Lalbaugcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal.