A plank, a prayer and a promise to Bappa: Differently-abled Ganesh devotee returns to Lalbaugcha Raja

Carried on a plank, Amit Shiwalkar travels from Govandi to Lalbaug every year to seek Bappa’s blessings.

Amit Shiwalkar, 48, woke up at 6:00am on Wednesday, early enough to get from Govandi to Parel by 11:00am. Like millions of devotees, Shiwalkar was determined to visit Lalbaugcha Raja, arguably Mumbai's most iconic Ganesh idol, during the ongoing Ganpati festivities. Braving Mumbai’s brutal traffic and teeming crowds in Parel, Shiwalkar made it, carried to the pandal on a strip of plywood by three friends.

Carried on a plank, Amit Shiwalkar travels from Govandi to Lalbaug every year to seek Bappa’s blessings. (HT Photo)

Shiwalkar, who lives with hereditary spastic paraplegia, a neurological disorder that has severely restricted his mobility, waited nearly an hour at the pandal but could not reach the idol for a close darshan.

“I got only a mukh darshan, a glimpse of Bappa from afar, instead of a charan sparsh darshan, where devotees can touch his feet. I wish I could have touched his feet,” he said. After Lalbaugcha Raja, Shiwalkar and his friends visited five other Ganpati pandals in Central Mumbai before returning home.

A resident of Lalubhai Compound in Govandi, Shiwalkar is carried on a strip of plywood whenever he ventures out of his home. He has never attended school and has spent most of his life indoors due to his condition. His only exposure to the world is when friends and relatives carry him on the plank. “I may not be able to do many things, but I enjoy seeing different places,” he said.

He kept that promise – this is year five after the accident. “The aura here is very different. There is a majestic nature to Bappa in Lalbaug. I thought, if thousands can come from far away, why can’t I come from next door? There is so much hope, peace and serenity here.”

But this year, Shiwalkar sought Bappa’s blessings with another mannat, or a solemn vow in exchange for fulfilment of a wish. Nearly a year ago, he lost the paan stall that had been his only source of livelihood. He had been running the stall in Lalubhai Compound for nearly a decade when he was ousted by someone who wanted the space. “I just want my space back so that I can earn a livelihood with dignity,” he said.

When he lost his stall, Shiwalkar lost more than his livelihood — it was his window to the world. Now, occasional sightseeing trips with friends are among the few times he gets to travel outside his home.

Stepping outside, however, also comes with the discomfort of being mistaken for someone seeking alms due to his disability, especially in the local trains. On Wednesday, for instance, someone gave him ₹200 believing he was asking for money. “I don’t beg,” he said. “When someone feels pity for me and gives me money, it hurts.”

Of the three people who accompanied Shiwalkar to Parel on Wednesday, one is a nephew and the other two have been a part of his life for more than a decade, especially after they began helping him get around after his accident. “Whenever I want to travel, they make arrangements and take a day off from work to accompany me,” he said.

After Wednesday’s darshan at Lalbaugcha Raja, Shiwalkar was carried away on his plank, preparing for the journey home. He said if he does not get his stall back by next year, he will not return to Lalbaugcha Raja. “What is the point of coming here if I cannot get back my basic bread and butter?”