Mumbai, Oct. 1 -- The annual auction of gold, silver and other valuables offered to the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal drew strong interest on Wednesday, with devotees bidding amounts that in several cases far exceeded the material worth of the items. The auction began shortly after 5pm and continued until midnight. Among the most sought-after items were a 1kg gold bar, which carried a reserve price of Rs.1.48 crore and eventually fetched Rs.1.55 crore, and an 18-carat gold idol of Lord Ganesha weighing 141 grams, with a reserve price of Rs.15.65 lakh. The auction also featured a range of gold and silver ornaments, gold modaks, silver maces, cricket bats, a sitar and two motorcycles. Mandal representatives said they were still calculating the overall proceeds and would announce the final figure on Thursday. The mandal also reported Rs.6.12 crore in cash donations this year. Of this, Rs.3.53 crore was collected through the donation boxes placed on the stage, Rs.2.42 crore through the donation boxes near the queue. P4...