The tradition of Lalbaugcha Raja began in 1934, when Koli fishermen and traders of Mumbai’s textile mill hub, Lalbaug, lost their marketplace amid industrial changes. Seeking help, mill workers prayed to Lord Ganesha, and soon a new market was approved. In gratitude, they installed a Ganesh idol and formed the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, Lalbaug—today celebrated as the iconic Lalbaugcha Raja.