Mumbai's sarvajanik Ganesh visarjan sees five-fold rise

Many housing complexes arranged for immersion spots inside the societies this year

While the number of household Ganesh idols reduced by a third, there was a five-fold increase of sarvajanik Ganesh idols on Day 1 of visarjan this year. However, a large number of immersions took place at homes or in society premises and are not accounted for in BMC's figures.

On an average, over one lakh households and more than 20,000 sarvajanik Ganesh idols come to natural and artificial spots for immersion over a period of 11 days every year. Last year, 61,728 household and 201 sarvajanik Ganesh idols were immersed on Day 1. This year, the number of household Ganesh was reduced to 39,845, but, the number of sarvajanik Ganesh idols rose to 978.

A family from Mulund East immerses its mud idol in a steel container on Sunday. Pic/Sameer Markande

"Many small scale sarvajanik mandals opted for immersion early due to social distancing rules. The number may be much higher as immersions took place close to the pandals itself," said Rajul Patel, corporator from Jogeshwari.

This applies to household idols too as many devotees bought clay idols and immersed them at home. Many housing complexes in Vile Parle, Dadar and Girgaon arranged for immersion spots inside their societies for the first time.

A family in Matunga immerses its Ganesh idol in a bucket at its residence. PIc/Ashish Raje

Committee members of Indravadan Society, Dadar, with eight buildings and 140 flats arranged for an artificial immersion spot within the society compound. "We decided this a month ago and informed our members. So 2-3 members, who ordered for POP idols, changed it to clay. Out of 27 idols, 12 came for immersion on Sunday. We made a schedule for every idol so that they can perform the aarti at the immersion spot," said Mahesh Phadke, executive member of the society.

He said the society has been celebrating sarvjanik Ganpati for more than 100 years and this year the immersion is going to take place inside the society for the first time.

Abhijeet Samant, local corporator from Vile Parle East said, "Many housing societies arranged for immersion spots on the premises so that social distancing, as well as traditional practices, could be maintained."

Even this year, the proportion of immersion in artificial lakes increased. Last year, out of 61,929 immersions on Day one, 14,490 idols had gone to artificial lakes - only 23 per cent. This year, the BMC increased the number of artificial lakes by four-folds and urged to go for immersion to the nearest lake or deposit the idols at collection centres. Accordingly, out of 40,823 idols which went to public immersion spots, 22,859 idols (56 per cent) immersion took take place in artificial ponds and rest at beaches or natural lakes.

61,728
No. of household idols immersed on Day 1 in 2019

201
No. of sarvajanik idols immersed on Day 1 in 2019

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