Mumbai:- In his customary annual Ganeshotsav visit to Mumbai, three generations of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s family touched the feet of the Lalbaugcha Raja’s massive idol of Lord Ganesh here on Monday.
Shah, accompanied by his wife Sonal, daughter-in-law Hrishita, and grand-daughters, visited the security-sanitised marquee of Lalbaugcha Raja.
Also joining them were Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Bharatiya Janata Party Maharashtra chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Mumbai President Ashish Shelar, and other senior party leaders.
Walking down a few metres from the main road to the marquee inside with gun-toting security personnel around them, Shah and others first removed their footwear at a designated spot.
Then, they went up a couple of steps to the pedestal where the huge statue of Lord Ganesh who cast a benign glance at the devotees below, even as the usual massive crowds were kept at bay for the VIP visit.
Shah solemnly offered floral tributes, a tilak, a silent prayer, and then bent forward to touch his hand and head at the Lord’s feet.
Then it was the turn of his wife and daughter-in-law and grand-daughter to offer their respects and prayers to Lord Ganesh.
As his excited grand-daughter could not reach to touch the Lord, Shah smiled, gently pulled her hand and helped her make the flower offering, as she glanced up at Lord Ganesha.
After the quick ‘darshan’ over, the Shah family posed for the paparazzi who furiously clicked away, then with Shinde-Fadnavis for the 2022 memories, as several office-bearers of the Lalbaugcha Raja trust looked on pleased.
Shah, 57, arrived here late on Sunday for his annual Ganeshotsav trip to the city of his birth, with certain political meetings likely to be lined up.
Earlier this morning, veteran Bollywood director Rohit Shetty called on Shah, who is scheduled to have several other engagements here during the day, including visiting the Bandra home of Shelar for Ganpati ‘darshan’.