Lalbaugcha Raja collected as much gold and silver as he does every year, except that he earned a little less in cash this time round.
Devotees offered 4,200 kg of gold, 80 kg of silver and a total of ₹ 6.05 crore in cash during the 11-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival, which concluded last week. The Lalbaugcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal on Monday conducted its annual auction of all the offerings. The total earnings from the auction crossed ₹1.25 crore.
“This year, the offerings in gold and silver have remained the same, whereas the cash offerings have reduced as compared to last year. The reason might be the continuous rain during Ganesh Chaturthi and the economic slowdown,” said Sudhir Salvi, president of the Lalbaugcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal.
Idols of homes made of gold and silver, a large mace made of silver, and idols of Ganesha’s vehicle, the mouse, were among the articles offered.
The most expensive item was a set of gold plates, bowls and spoons, weighing 1.237 kg. The set was sold for ₹43.6 lakh to Somesh Mhetre, a city-based businessman.
The second costliest item was a 1 kg gold biscuit, sold for ₹39.51 lakh to a devotee from South Mumbai who did not want to be named.
He said he had been attending the auction for the past eight years.
A gold necklace donated by actor Shilpa Shetty was bought for ₹1.11 lakh, while the silver mace weighing 5 kg went for ₹2.25 lakh. A large silver necklace was sold for ₹2.5 lakh.
The auction saw 10 volunteers involved in counting, and about 25 people bid for the items from a gathering of about 100. While close to 100 items were auctioned on the basis of their value, small offerings like rings, ornaments and small idols will be sold on the basis of their market value on Tuesday.
