At Lalbaugcha Raja mandal auction, 1-kg gold bar fetches ₹1.55 cr

The auction, which commenced shortly after 5pm and continued till midnight, also featured gold and silver ornaments, gold modaks, silver maces, cricket bats, a sitar and two motorcycles

Mumbai: Gold and silver ornaments and other valuable items received by the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal were auctioned on Wednesday, with sentimental devotees quoting prices way beyond the items’ material value. The biggest attractions at the auction were a one-kilogram gold bar, which had a reserve price of ₹1.48 crore, and a 141-gram 18-carat gold Ganesha idol with a reserve price of ₹15.65 lakh.

The biggest attractions at the auction were a one-kilogram gold bar, which had a reserve price of ₹1.48 crore, and a 141-gram 18-carat gold Ganesha idol with a reserve price of ₹15.65 lakh. (Raju Shinde/HT Photo)

The auction, which commenced shortly after 5pm and continued till midnight, also featured gold and silver ornaments, gold modaks, silver maces, cricket bats, a sitar and two motorcycles. Representatives of the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal said that while the one-kilogram gold bar was sold for ₹1.55 crore, they were busy calculating the total funds generated from the auction and would make an announcement about the same tomorrow.

In 2025, the mandal had auctioned 108 gold and silver articles for ₹1.65 crore. A 56-gram silver Ganesha idol, which had an opening price of ₹5,000, had fetched ₹50,000; silver modaks were sold for ₹41,000 and ₹61,000; a silver mooshak had fetched ₹38,000; and a silver gada was sold for ₹25,000.

This year, the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal received ₹6.12 crore in cash donations, representatives said. Out of the total amount, ₹3.53 crore was collected via donation boxes on stage, ₹2.42 crore via the rang donation boxes and ₹16.14 lakh via the immersion donation box.

In comparison, the GSB Seva Mandal at King’s Circle, widely regarded as Mumbai’s richest Ganpati mandal in terms of valuables offered by devotees, recorded collections worth more than ₹20 crore this year, said Satish Nayak, a former trustee of the mandal.

The collections included funds received via donations, pooja receipts, auction proceeds, advertisements and branding.

“We do not auction gold and silver ornaments offered to the deity as a rule, as per the directions of our swami (priest). We auction only about five items, more for namesake,” he said.

This year, the GSB Seva Mandal’s collection from the auction was ₹5 lakh, he added.

One of the unusual items auctioned by the mandal this year was a traditional ‘tandla mudo’, which could hold around 40 kgs of rice. The mudo, which was used in rituals during the Ganpati festival, fetched ₹1.25 lakh.

“Many mud Ganpatis and pujas were performed using the rice stored in the mudo. Last year we had 85,000 pujas; this year it crossed 99,000,” Nayak said.

Funds raised by both the mandals are channelled towards various charitable and social initiatives. The Lalbaugcha Raja mandal uses its auction proceeds for social, educational and medical activities, with a substantial portion going towards medical assistance, dialysis centres and hospital-related expenses.

Meanwhile, the GSB Seva Mandal plans to establish a hospital in Mira-Bhayandar, for which land was purchased in 2004, said Nayak.

“This year, a portion of the funds will be directed towards drought-prone areas of Maharashtra, besides other social causes,” Nayak said.

A devotee at the Lalbaugcha Raja auction also hoped that the mandal would donate to drought-prone areas in the state.