The Times Utsav Moorti Sanman Contest is in its 11th year and has become the most coveted title for the Ganpati mandals in the city. This year, we had 780 participants from which the top 16 have been shortlisted. Every year for the last 11 years, the Times of India does the maha aarti at the Lalbaugcha Raja and every year except one, Amitabh Bachchan has been a part of it. His whole family is a Ganpati bhakt and thus, it was not surprising when he brought his daughter-in-law Aishwarya with him. Aishwarya looked beautiful as always and waited for Big B at every step to ensure she did not leave him even for a minute. Even when the crowd went berserk seeing her and she should have been concerned about her own safety, she kept looking out for her father-in-law. While there are big stars and superstars and they all visit Lalbaugcha Raja, it becomes super special when you have Big B visiting Big Bappa. The crowds become unmanageable and this time for the first time ever since I have been visiting Lalbaugcha Raja, the security barricades broke with people falling along with it. They were devotees waiting for over 24 hours for darshan, but they couldn't control themselves seeing Big B. Excerpts from a quick conversation with him post the aarti.

What does Ganpati mean to you?
For me, Ganpati means protection, shraddha, vighnaharta. Ganpati is omnipresent. You cannot do any other puja without doing his puja and that's why he is given the highest place in any mandir. He is also always placed on the top of the door at the entrance, so that his blessings are always with us.

What makes you visit Lalbaugcha Raja year after year?
Even when Lalbaug had not become so huge, in it's initial stages, I am talking about early 70s, I was brought here and somehow I wanted to keep the tradition of meeting him here. The idol here is one of the largest and so many people come here to take his blessings that I feel he must be listening to them (Itne log aate hain matha tekne ke liye, hamein lagta hai Bhagwan unki sun lete honge.) Unki sun rahe hain toh hamari bhi sun lein.

What do you feel about the way in which Ganpati is celebrated in Mumbai?
Nowhere in the world are festivals celebrated the way they are in India and Ganesh Utsav is one such. It's incomparable with any other, with all due respect to other religions and other festivals, as it's so unusual and so massive. They say faith moves mountains. I think it's just the faith Ganpati exudes and it's not just within India. I have seen many foreigners who for some peculiar reason also get attracted to him. I have Russian fans, German fans, British fans, American fans, who come and ask for a Ganpati moorti. So kuch hogi baat Ganeshji mein. His imagery is very impactful. Each one finds him sweet and endearing and has a feeling that he can protect us.

Given that everyone in your family believes in Ganpati, have any of your grandchildren taken to him also?
Aaradhya is only three-and-half years old, but she can recite the entire Ganpati aarti as she knows it by heart. She hugs her Ganpati and sings it. That's how she has been taught to do it.