"In 2016, the auction amount stood at Rs 1.5 crore, collected from over 225 articles of which the total weight of gold was 5 kg, and that of silver was 80 kg," said Mahesh Jadhav, treasurer of the mandal.
Chetan Joshi, a builder by profession, bought the most expensive article offered by a devotee to Lalbaugcha Raja this year. He bid the one kg gold biscuit for Rs 31.35 lakh. After its purchase, the total auction amount at Lalbaugcha Raja this year stood at Rs 97,96,500.
"In 2016, the auction amount stood at Rs 1.5 crore, collected from over 225 articles of which the total weight of gold was 5 kg, and that of silver was 80 kg," said Mahesh Jadhav, treasurer of the mandal.
This year, there were 125 articles offered, which mandal officials said probably fell due to the rains. Only 82 were auctioned. Of these, the total gold weighed 5.5 kg, while silver weighed 75 kg. Besides the one kilogram gold brick, there were two gold idols of Lord Ganpati and Goddess Lakshmi collectively weighing over 1.1kg. The Ganpati weighing .587 kg was bid at Rs 15.60 lakh, while the Lakshmi idol weighing .517 kg was bid for Rs 15.60 lakh. There were also two gold chains around .250 kg. Offerings this year also saw notes banned from circulation post demonitisation. They stood at Rs 1.30 lakh. Articles not auctioned due to lack of time, mandal organisers say will be auctioned on Monday amongst themselves, said Jadhav.
Sudhir Salvi, secretary of Lalbaugcha Raja Ganeshutsav Mandal said, "We will ask our chartered accountant what to do with these (banned) notes. The decision will be taken tomorrow."
Those present said the crowd that comes for auction was less compared to previous years. This is despite the fact that the auction was for one day, as compared to more than one day earlier. Members of the Samiti said it was due to demonitisation.
However, that was in no way an indicator of the enthusiasm of devotees participating in the auction. "I have been coming every year for the last six years. I feel that whatever I am taking from here is prasad of the Lord," said Jyoti Bhaktha, who purchased a 12 gram gold chain for Rs 50,000.
While she purchased just one article, some others purchased multiple ones. Rahul Upadhyay was one who did. After purchasibg a gold chain, he purchased a silver-plated sword. "I have been coming here for the past 10 years.
It is god's blessings that I take home with me," said Upadhyay.
Those like Dimple Thakkar, who had come to buy a house, missed out on it. "Someone bid for the house higher than I did. Since I had come for first time, I took 10g modaks as prasad from him,' said Dimple Thakkar. "I now want them to put up more gold modak's for auction as my mother and brother also want them," she added.
Auction 2017
Members of the samiti said that due to demonitisation, the crowd was less compared to the previous year, which saw 225 articles auctioned
Articles not auctioned due to lack of time, mandal organisers say will be auctioned on Monday among themselves, said Jadhav
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