Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: Bid farewell to bappa at doorstep

Workers help devotees immerse an idol in a mobile lake. Pic/Hanif Patel

Unprecedented times call for unique measures, and as people are celebrating Ganeshotsav amid restrictions this year, a political party in the Vasai-Virar region has introduced mobile lakes for visarjan to ensure everyone stays indoors and stays safe amid the pandemic.

Residents of Vasai, Virar and Nalasopara just have to dial their respective corporator's number when they want to bid farewell to bappa, and the lake will come to their doorstep within minutes. Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi President MLA Hitendra Thakur and MLA Kshitij Thakur have arranged 72 mobile lakes for the immersion of Ganesha idols this year.

An idol being immersed in a lake atop a truck at Andheri East on Sunday. PIC/Uday Devrukhkar

Within 5 to 10 minutes, a three- or four-wheeler vehicle carrying water containers would reach a devotee's doorstep, where they can perform the 'aarti' and immerse the idol, said Bharat Gupta, the former chairman of the transport committee of Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation.

"Two party workers will accompany each vehicle, in case the devotees want us to collect the idol and immerse it in the mobile lake. If they want, they can stay and perform the 'aarti' while party workers do the visarjan. However, no devotee will be allowed to enter the vehicle," Gupta said. He added that the concept was born at a meeting held by MLA Hitendra a couple of weeks back.

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