29 September,2023 07:01 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
A crowd of devotees at Girgaum Chowpatty on the occasion of Ganpati Visarjan on Thursday, September 28, 2023. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Ganpati Visarjan 2023: The last day of the ten-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival witnessed a seamless immersion of Lord Ganesha idols, with no untoward incidents reported during the process. Devotees from all corners of the city thronged the immersion points with great enthusiasm to bid farewell to their beloved deity.
The statistics released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation revealed that a staggering 37,599 idols of Lord Ganesha and Gauri were immersed during the conclusion of the festival. Of these, a total of 5,840 Sarvjanik Ganesh idols were immersed in various water bodies across the city. 31,322 idols from households found their way into the city's waterways. The festival also saw the immersion of 437 Gauri idols, symbolizing the feminine divine energy.
In a bid to promote eco-friendly practices and reduce the pollution of natural water bodies, a significant number of idols were immersed in specially created artificial lakes.
734 Sarvjanik Ganesh idols were immersed in artificial lakes. A substantial 10,121 household idols found their way into these eco-friendly immersion sites. 158 Gauri idols were immersed in artificial lakes, reinforcing the commitment to environmental conservation.
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The use of artificial lakes for immersion resulted in a total of 11,013 idols bidding farewell to the city in an eco-conscious manner.
Also read: BREAKING: 16-year-old teen drowns at Mumbai's Juhu beach during idol immersion
Since early morning, huge crowds gathered at various places in the city to catch a glimpse of their favourite deity, as decked-up idols of Lord Ganesh in various forms and sizes were taken out of pandals for their final journey, accompanied by music, dance and prayers.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis joined in the festive spirit of Ganeshotsav by showering flowers on the processions of Ganesh Visarjan at Girgaon.
As the entire area resonated with the chants of "Ganpati Bappa Morya," Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis participated in the time-honoured tradition of bidding farewell to Lord Ganesha.
The festival, which began with 'Ganesh Chaturthi' on September 19, concludes on the 'Anant Chaturdashi' on Thursday with the immersion of idols in the Arabian Sea and other water bodies here.
In Mumbai's Lalbaug area, famous for celebrating the festival with grandeur, the procession of idols of Tejukaya and Ganesh Gully mandals started with chants of 'Ganapati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya' (come soon next year Lord).
The procession of the famous Lalbaugcha Raja idol, which attracts a maximum number of devotees during the 10-day festival, started at around 11:30 am.
A large number of people were seen waiting on both sides of the roads for the final 'darshan' of the idol.
