Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in Maharashtra and this year it will be celebrated from September 19 to September 28. While the festivities for the auspicious commemoration have already begun in full swing, devotees have been swept by a wave of excitement as they finally got the first glimpse of Lord Ganesha's idol at Lalbaugcha in Maharashtra. As per the latest reports, this year’s pandal decoration is late art director Nitin Desai's last creation.
The reports also suggest that the design of the deity’s idol was completed shortly before the director committed suicide in August.
#WATCH | Maharashtra | First look of Lalbaugcha Raja unveiled in Mumbai ahead of #Ganeshotsav pic.twitter.com/wzNaDQ994M
— ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2023
For those unaware, Lalbaugcha Raja is one of the most popular and oldest pandals in Mumbai which effortlessly attracts thousands of devotees from across the globe. Interestingly, the pandal is also graced by the presence of several celebrities and politicians for darshan. However, this year, one of the reasons the pandal has been making waves is the design of its Lord Ganesh idol by art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai.
Nitin Desai had confirmed the completion of his word and Mandap Pujan's responsibilities through his Instagram post a few days before his death. He also shared a slew of layout’s pictures and wrote, "May the king of Lalbagh be victorious. The mandap puja and decoration of Shri Ganesha in the 90th year of the Raja of Lalbagh was completed today. Ganapati Bappa Morya."
Nitin Chandrakant Desai is one of the critically acclaimed art designers hailing from Mumbai and he has worked with many Bollywood directors like - Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Rajkumar Hirani and others.
His portfolio also includes several hit films like 'Jodhaa Akbar', 'Devdas', 'Lagaan', 'Lage Raho Munna Bhai', 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' and more.
Nitin Chandrakant Desai was a recipient of the Filmfare Best Art Director Award and the National Film Award for Best Art Direction.
Unfortunately, on August 2, Desai committed suicide at his art studio in Karjat. A slew of reports maintained that the designer was struggling to meet the finances as the studio was not earning well and he was under a massive loan.
Image Source: Instagram/wallpaperaccess