Shroff Building’s Lalbaug flower shower takes a Shivaji Maharaj-inspired form

At Shroff Building in Lalbaug, a replica of the Jiretop is set above the visarjan route, ready to release flowers over passing Ganesh idols.

The Shroff Building Pushpavrushti Utsav Mandal has chosen the headgear associated with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as the theme for its 2026 Anant Chaturdashi installation. Its motorised floral tableau will form part of the procession route used by prominent idols including Lalbaugcha Raja and Mumbaicha Raja.

The mandal’s pushpavrushti tradition dates to 1970, when it began among residents of the Lalbaug chawl. Each year, residents operate a themed floral structure from roughly two storeys above the street, manually controlling the mechanism that showers flowers on idols below.

Flower showers, along with petals, gulal and raw rice, are a familiar part of Ganesh visarjan across Mumbai. At Shroff Building, the practice has grown into one of Lalbaug’s recognisable procession moments, with this year’s tableau adding a historical symbol to the route.