Over 66,700 Ganesh idols have been immersed in various water bodies across Mumbai as of Thursday morning, according to civic officials. The process of idol immersion has proceeded smoothly without any untoward incidents reported thus far.
During the 10-day Ganeshotsav festival, dedicated to the elephant-headed deity Lord Ganesha, idols are traditionally immersed at different intervals of one and a half days, five days, seven days, and ten days, or in accordance with family customs.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a total of 66,785 “one-and-a-half-day” Ganapati idols were immersed in the sea and other water bodies, including artificial ponds, by 6 am on Thursday. The immersion ceremonies were marked by the fervent chanting of “Ganapati Bappa Morya,” the rhythmic beating of drums, music, and dance.
Out of the idols immersed so far, BMC officials reported that 66,435 were household Ganapati idols, while 350 were “sarvajanik” or community idols. Approximately 27,736 idols found their way into artificial ponds, strategically set up to prevent pollution of natural water bodies, spanning the city. Among these, 27,564 were household Ganapati idols, and the remainder were ‘sarvajanik.’
The BMC proudly stated, “No untoward incident was reported anywhere during the immersion.”
For this year’s festivities, the BMC has designated 69 natural water bodies, including coastal areas, and established 191 artificial ponds for the immersion of idols.
Ganeshotsav is one of the most significant festivals in Mumbai and throughout Maharashtra. It involves bringing idols of Lord Ganesha into homes and installing them in pandals (temporary structures) for ten days of celebrations, commencing on Ganesh Chaturthi (which fell on September 19 this year) and concluding on Anant Chaturdashi (September 28 this year).
