The Marathi-speaking population of Karachi, which stands at 800, have installed a smaller replica of the idol at Shri Ratneshwar Mahadeo Temple in the city's tony Clifton area.
The visual of crowds thronging the famous Lalbaugcha Raja is commonplace for most Mumbaikars. But, for the Hindu Maharashtrian community in Karachi, getting a replica of this Ganesh idol is a way to celebrate their tradition and tenuous link with their home state.
The Marathi-speaking population of Karachi, which stands at 800, have installed a smaller replica of the idol at Shri Ratneshwar Mahadeo Temple in the city's tony Clifton area.
"We would watch the images and videos of Lalbaugcha Raja and Andhericha Raja on Facebook, the internet and television and feel deeply about it. We thought we too should have a replica of Lalbaugcha Raja in Karachi as Karachicha Raja," said Vishal Rajput of the Shri Maharashtra Punchayat, an organisation of Maharashtrians in Karachi.
He noted that the idol, originally made in India, had been sourced from Dubai by the Gaikwad family in Karachi. This was the first time that the Lalbaugcha Raja was making it to Karachi's shores, he said, adding that the idol was immersed on Saturday, complete with dancing by community members.
"Ganapati idols are made in Karachi as well. Apart from Maharashtrians, other communities too celebrate Ganeshotsav. The government supports us and provides us security," Rajput said, adding there were around 35 to 40 Ganapatis in Karachi.
The Ganesh festival is also celebrated at Ganesh Math Mandir in Dholi Khata, the Swami Narayan temple, Delhi Colony and Jinnah Madrasi Hindu Colony.
In undivided India, Karachi was part of the Bombay presidency and had a thriving Maharashtrian community of around 25,000 members.
The festival was celebrated for the first time in the city during the pre-Independence times by the late Krishna Naik at Mahadeo temple in Clifton.
The city had two Marathi medium schools. Its first government school was named after Narayan Jugannath, a Maharashtrian.
While few traces of the authority of Maharashtrians remain in Pakistan — the Marathas under Peshwa Balaji Bajirao's brother Raghunathrao had spread the suzerainty of the Maratha empire till Attock in the mid-18th century.
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