Accompanied by the rhythmic beats of drums and the enthusiastic chants of Ganpati Bappa Morya, several Ganesh mandals in Mumbai began their processions on Thursday to submerge the idols of the deity, symbolizing the conclusion of the 10-day festival.
Crowds gathered at various places in the city to catch a glimpse of their favourite deity, as decked up idols of Lord Ganesh in various forms and sizes were taken out of pandals for their final journey, accompanied by music, dance and prayers.
The festival, commencing on September 19 with Ganesh Chaturthi is scheduled to culminate on Anant Chaturdashi on Thursday as the idols are immersed in the Arabian Sea and various other water bodies in the area. In Mumbai's renowned Lalbaug area, celebrated for its grand festivities, the procession featuring idols from Tejukaya and Ganesh Gully mandals commenced with the reverberating chants of 'Ganapati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya' (come soon next year Lord).
Thousands of people gathered on the streets of Lalbaug and other major procession routes of Ganesh idols to bid farewell to the deity with heartfelt prayers and witness the vibrant processions being taken out with music, dance and sprinkling of 'gulal' (vermillion powder). There was also a large gathering of people at Lalbaug's Shroff building to witness 'pushpavrusti' (showering of flowers) on the Ganesh idols.
On the main route leading to Girgaon in south Mumbai, where the majority of processions pass, crowds also gathered. Ganesh idol processions from Fort, Girgaon, Mazgaon, Byculla, Dadar, Matunga, Sion, Chembur, and other locations are among them.