09 September,2024 04:01 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Pic/AFP
Thousands of devotees bid an emotional farewell to Lord Ganesh on Sunday by immersing the idols of the elephant-headed deity across Mumbai.
More than 62,000 Ganesh idols have been immersed in the city till 12 am during Ganesh Visarjan 2024, said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Upto 12 am, a total of 62,569 idols had been immersed across various locations in the city.
Among the 62,569 idols those were immersed on Sunday till 12 am include 348 sarvjanik (public) idols, 62,197 Gharguti (household) idols and 24 Hartalika Idols.
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Out of these, 30,177 idols were immersed into artificial lakes, ensuring an environmentally-friendly option, the officials said.
The idols taken out for immersion on Sunday afternoon after one and a half days were from households.
Chants of "Ganpati Bappa morya, mangal murti morya, pudchya varshi lavkar ya," urging the Lord to return early next year filled the air as devotees took their idols to beaches and artificial water bodies for immersion during Ganesh Visarjan 2024.
The 10-day Ganesh festival began in the city with pomp and gaiety on September 7, with families and 'savajanik mandals' (public groups) installing the idols of their beloved god at homes and community pandals.
As many as 12,000 personnel have been deployed to help citizens with the idol immersion off the beaches and in 204 artificial ponds across the city and suburbs. As many as 71 control rooms have been set up, civic officials said earlier.
They said that 761 lifeguards and 48 motor boats have been pressed into service at the beaches. BMC has also made facilities to collect the 'nirmalya' (flowers and other offerings) brought with the idols.
"Lord Ganesha is the one who brings a lot of prosperity and removes obstacles from our way," Bhushan Gagrani, commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), told reporters.
Like in the past, the government, BMC and police have made necessary arrangements for the smooth immersion of idols this year as well, he said.
"For the first 'visarjan' (immersion) of today (one and a half days), followed by the fifth day, Gouri visarjan (seventh day) and last day (Anant Chaturdashi visarjan), we have made traffic diversions. Arrangements have been made with enough deployment of traffic police here," he said.
BMC and police have ensured that there are arrangements for separate parking, mobile toilets, flood lights, bodyguards, prayer mandaps (platforms) for devotees and VIP pandals, he said.
"We ensure a rich, seamless and incident-free Ganpati experience here for all devotees," he said.
