Over 37,000 idols of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Gauri were immersed in water across Mumbai. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
More than 37,000 idols of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Gauri were immersed in water across Mumbai on Wednesday (September 18, 2024) morning as devotees bid farewell to their favorite elephant-headed deity at the conclusion of the festival, officials said.
The immersion procession, which began on Tuesday (September 17) morning on the last day of the Ganesh festival, continued well into the night, with devotees thronging the city’s beaches, lakes, and artificial ponds to immerse the idols.
The idol of Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh – which attracts millions of devotees like every year – was submerged in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Girgaon in south Mumbai around 10.30 am. Thousands of devotees lined up to catch the last glimpse of the deity.
Chinchpoklicha Chintamani, another famous Ganesh of Lalbaug, and images of a few other groups were also brought to the beach for immersion.
Immersions took place in artificial lakes as well as in Girgaon, Dadar, Juhu, Marve and Aksa, among other places in the megapolis.
“By 6 am on Wednesday, a total of 37,064 idols of Lord Ganesh and Gauri had been immersed in various water bodies across Mumbai. These included 5,762 idols of ‘sarvajanik’ (community groups). Out of all, 11,713 idols were immersed will be artificial. ponds are placed all over the city,” said a civic official.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has made elaborate arrangements for the immersion by deploying thousands of workers, security guards and emergency personnel to ensure that the procession goes smoothly and safely.
The festival started on September 7 and culminated on September 17.
More than 24,000 policemen have been deployed on the streets of Mumbai for security and crowd control.
State Police, Rapid Response Teams, Anti-Violence Police, Home Guards and Maharashtra Security Force have also been arrested, officials said.
Published – September 18, 2024 01:35 pm IST