Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: Over 28,000 Ganesh idols immersed in Mumbai

Volunteers carry an idol of Lord Ganesha for immersion in the Arabian sea, during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, at Juhu Beach in Mumbai. Pic/ PTI

The 11-day Ganpati festival, which was celebrated in a low-key manner this year in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, concluded with the immersion of over 28,000 idols of Lord Ganesh in Mumbai, an official said on Wednesday. The immersion of idols, which began on Tuesday morning on the occasion of 'Anant Chaturdashi', marking culmination of
the festivities, continued till the early hours of Wednesday. A total of 28,293, including 3,817 installed at public
mandals and 24,476 installed by citizens at their homes, were immersed in various water bodies in the city by 3 am on
Wednesday, an official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

Out of these, 13,742 idols were immersed in artificial ponds set up for the purpose, he said. "No untoward incident was reported during the immersion," the official said. Total 445 immersion facilities were arranged in the city, including 168 artificial ponds, 170 mobile idol collection centres, 37 mobile immersion points and 70 natural immersion spots, he said.

The civic body appointed 23,000 staff members at various locations for smooth conduct of the immersion rituals,
he added. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray earlier called for a simple and low-key festival celebration this year in view of the pandemic, and asked Ganesh mandals to undertake social welfare programmes. He also said Ganesh mandals should not install idols with a height of more than four feet during the festival.

The Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh Mandal, which installs Mumbai's most famous Ganpati idol, cancelled the Ganesh Chaturthi celebration this year due to the pandemic.The GSB Ganeshotsav Samiti in Wadala area here postponed the celebration to 'Magh Shudh Chaturthi' in February next year.

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