17 September,2024 10:26 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Devotees bid farewell to Lord Ganesh. Pic/Satej Shinde
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday said that the immersion of Lord Ganesha idols during the Anant Chaturdashi was going on smoothly and up till 9 pm, a total of 19,176 Ganpati and Gauri idols had been immersed across various locations in the city during the Ganesh Visarjan 2024.
Among the 19,176 idols those were immersed till 9 pm include 17,996 Gharguti (household) idols, 1,053 sarvjanik (public) idols and 127 Gauri idols, the civic officials said.
Out of these, 7,570 idols were immersed into artificial lakes, ensuring an environmentally-friendly option, the officials said.
"The immersion process so far was being conducted without any untoward incidents, and the authorities have reported a successful and peaceful immersions on Anant Chaturdashi," an official said.
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The 10-day Ganeshotsav festival began in Maharashtra on September 7, with idols of the deity being installed in homes and at public pandals across the state amid fanfare.
Families, including children and elderly members, stepped out of their homes early morning to bring their beloved god home amid chants of "Ganpati Bappa Morya" and the beating of drums.
Traditional 'dhol-tasha' (drum) troupes accompanied the processions which began in the morning.
Many mandals - groups that celebrate the festival in public places - brought in their Ganesh idols with grand processions in the last few days.
Ganesh Visarjan in Thane
Meanwhile, in Thane hundreds of devotees were seen participating the Ganesh Visarjan processions.
The civic officials said that until 8:30 pm a total number of 1,823 idols had been immersed across Thane district.
Out of these, 1797 were Gharguti idols and 26 were sarvjanik idols.
The processions for the immersion of Lord Ganesh idols began in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra including Thane district on Tuesday morning amid tight security and fanfare as the 10-day festival drew to a close.
In Mumbai's Lalbaug area, famous for celebrating the festival with grandeur, the procession of the idol of Tejukaya mandal started amid the chants of "Ganapati bappa morya, pudhchya varshi lavkar ya" (come soon next year Lord).
Crowds gathered on the lanes of Lalbaug, braving the scorching sun to bid farewell to the famous Lalbaugcha Raja idol, which attracts the maximum number of devotees, celebrities and prominent personalities.
Processions from various parts of Mumbai, including Fort, Mazgaon, Byculla, Dadar, and Chembur, will make their way towards the Arabian Sea and other water bodies for the final immersion, marking the end of this year's festivities.
Devotees thronged the streets, especially on the main road leading to the Girgaon beach, in large numbers, eager to catch a final glimpse of the elaborately adorned idols of the elephant-headed god when they are taken out of pandals for their journey to immersion sites.
