18 September,2024 10:18 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Representational Pic/File
Around 2.1 lakh idols were immersed in Mumbai over the 11 days of the Ganesh festival this year including over 37,000 idols on the final day, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials said on Wednesday.
The civic officials said that the 37,534 idols those were immersed till 6 pm include 31,011 Gharguti (household) idols, 6,315 sarvjanik (public) idols and 208 Gauri idols, the civic officials said.
Out of these, 11,364 idols were immersed into artificial lakes, ensuring an environmentally-friendly option, the civic officials said on Wednesday.
"The immersion process was conducted without any untoward incidents, and the civic authorities have reported a successful and peaceful immersion process," an official said.
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The highest number of immersions took place on the second day of the festival, with 66,339 idols immersed. It was followed by 48,004 immersions on the sixth day, 38,717 on the fifth day, 37,534 on the 11th day, and 18,427 on the seventh day, according to the BMC data.
The 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 in parts of Mumbai.
Many mandals - groups that celebrate the festival in public places - brought in their Ganesh idols with grand processions.
On Tuesday, huge 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 on Anant Chaturdashi, 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.
