29 September,2023 11:53 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Ganapati Visarjan/ Pic/Pradeep Dhivar
As the vibrant and grand Ganesh Chaturthi festival in 2023 reached its conclusion, the city witnessed a smooth immersion of Lord Ganesha idols until Friday at 9 am. The immersion, which marked the farewell to the beloved deity, proceeded without any untoward incidents, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
Ganeshotsav began on September 19 and concluded on September 28 on Anant Chaturdashi with immersion of idols in the Arabian Sea and other water bodies across the city. Many big idols are immersed in the sea on following morning after a grand visarjan procession.
Official statistics released by the authorities shed light on the scale of the celebrations and the eco-conscious choices made by many devotees. In total, 39,502 idols of Lord Ganesha and Gauri were immersed across various parts of the city. These included 6,837 Sarvjanik (public) idols, 32,203 Gharguti (household) idols, and 462 Gauri idols.
Among the total 39,000 idols, 740 Sarvjanik idols, 10,207 Gharguti idols, and 160 Gauri idols were immersed in these eco-conscious immersion sites. This concerted effort to reduce pollution in natural water bodies resulted in a total of 11,107 idols bidding farewell to the city in an environmentally responsible manner.
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The Disaster Management Unit (DMU) reported that no untoward incidents were recorded during the immersion, reflecting the meticulous planning and security measures put in place to ensure the safety of devotees and the smooth conduct of the festivities.
In the bustling Lalbaug area, renowned for its grand celebrations, the procession of idols from Tejukaya and Ganesh Gully mandals started with chants of 'Ganapati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya' (Come back sooner, Lord).
The procession of the famous Lalbaugcha Raja idol commenced at around 11:30 am on Thursday drawing large crowds eager for the final 'darshan' of the idol. The idol was immersed after a procession of a staggering 21 hours.
Devotees had lined up on the streets to bid farewell to their beloved âBappa'. Many danced their hearts out to the tunes of dhols and tasha. The streets were covered in gulaal, confetti and flower petals showered on the Lord's idol.
Meanwhile, the city police had made meticulous security arrangements. Mumbai Police had deployed 8 Additional Commissioners, 25 Deputy Commissioners, along with 45 units, constituting 2866 police officers and 16250 police enforcers to maintain vigil.
