Mumbai bids farewell to 'Bappa' without fanfare this year

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) staff carries Lord Ganesh idols for immersion at Girgaon Chowpatty, during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, in Mumbai. Pic/ PTI

With the pandemic casting its grim shadow, Mumbai witnessed a much quieter Anant Chaturdashi, which marks the end of the 11-day Ganesh festival, on Tuesday. Devotees bid adieu to Lord Ganesh like every year, but there were no endless processions winding their way through bylanes and main roads , no 'DJ' systems blaring songs, no dancing in the streets. Idols were immersed in the sea, lakes as well as artificial ponds built by the municipal corporation.

As per the civic body, 6,015 Ganesh idols including 369 from public pandals had been immersed by 6 pm. Devotees were seen walking towards beaches of Girgaum, Dadar, Juhu, Marve and other coastal immersion points carrying
idols, chanting "Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya" (come sooner next year). More than 35,000 police personnel were deployed across the city. The police also monitored the streets and beaches with the help of about 5,000 CCTV cameras.

To avoid crowding, police had appealed people to perform final 'arati' and puja before setting out from home
and not at immersion spots, as is the wont. 'Mandals' or groups that organise Ganesh festival in pandals were directed to strictly follow social distancing norms in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

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