Ganesh idol immersion processions begin as devotees bid farewell to their favourite deity

Mumbai: Processions for the immersion of Lord Ganesh idols began in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra on Tuesday morning amid tight security and fanfare as the 10-day festival drew to a close.

The 'Ganesh Chaturthi' festival, which began on September 7, concludes with 'Anant Chaturdashi' on Tuesday.

In Mumbai's Lalbaug area, famous for celebrating the festival with grandeur, the procession of the idol of Tejukaya mandal started amid the chants of "Ganapati bappa morya, pudhchya varshi lavkar ya" (come soon next year Lord).

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, 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.

There was also a large gathering of people at Lalbaug’s Shroff building to witness 'pushpa vrushti' (showering of flowers) on the Ganesh idols.

The Lalbaugcha Raja Ganapati idol hit the main road around 12.45 pm and headed towards Bharatmata junction, from where it will return to the Shroff building junction for 'pushpa vrushti'.

The processions of Rangari Badak Chawl Ganpati, Kalachowki Mahaganpati and Bal Ganesh Mandal's Ballaleshwar also reached the main roads.

More than 24,000 police personnel have been deployed in Mumbai to thwart any untoward incident during processions, officials said. Thousands of households and 'sarvajanik' (public) Ganesh idols will be immersed at 204 artificial ponds across the city, along with 69 natural water bodies like Girgaon, Dadar, Juhu, Marve and Aksa beaches.

According to officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), 675 Ganapati and Gauri idols, including six Sarvajanik Ganpatis, were immersed in the water bodies.

Of these, 235 idols were immersed in artificial ponds, they said, adding that no untoward incidents were reported.

The BMC said it has deployed more than 12,000 officials and staffers and set up 71 control rooms to manage the processions. It has posted 761 lifeguards and deployed 48 speed boats at the city beaches as a safety measure, and citizens have been advised to avoid entering the deep sea.

It has also cautioned citizens about marine species such as 'blue button jellyfish' and 'stingrays' along Mumbai's coastline and advised immediate first aid in case of fish stings.

According to the Mumbai police, drone surveillance will be in place at important immersion sites such as Girgaon Chowpatty, Dadar, Bandra, Juhu, Versova, Powai Lake, and Madh Island, along with a network of more than 8,000 CCTVs.

Besides the local police deployment, State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) platoons, quick response teams (QRT), riots control police (RCP), delta, combat, home guards, and Maharashtra Security Force have also been roped in, the officials said.

More than 2,500 traffic police personnel will ensure the smooth movement of vehicles across the city during immersion processions.

Entry to some roads will be restricted, and some routes will be made one-ways, while some will have diversions, they said.

For efficient coordination, 192 control rooms have been established across various administrative divisions, and 66 observation towers have been erected to monitor key areas.

To promote eco-friendly celebrations, the BMC has introduced a QR code system providing information on nearby artificial ponds. Citizens can scan the code or visit https://portal.mcgm.gov.in for directions to these ponds via Google Maps.