More than 66,700 Ganesh idols were immersed in various water bodies in Mumbai till Thursday morning, civic officials said. The immersion of idols has gone smoothly so far without any untoward incident, they said.
During the 10-day-long Ganeshotsav, which is dedicated to the elephant-headed god, the idols of Lord Ganesha are typically immersed at different intervals, including after one and a half days, five days, seven days, and ten days, depending on family traditions and customs.
According to officials from 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, till 6 am on Thursday. The idols were taken out and immersed amid chants of Ganapati Bappa Morya, the beating of drums, music and dance.
Of the immersion figures so far, BMC officials said, 66,435 were household Ganapati idols, while 350 were sarvajanik, or community, idols. According to reports, a total of 27,736 idols were immersed in artificial ponds established to prevent the pollution of natural water bodies throughout the city. Out of these, 27,564 were household Ganapati idols, and the remaining were 'sarvajanik' (public) idols.
BMC has earmarked 69 natural water bodies, including stretches off the coast, and created 191 artificial ponds for immersion this year. Ganeshotsav is one of the biggest festivals in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra. Idols of the deity are brought home and installed at pandals during the 10-day celebrations that start on Ganesh Chaturthi – September 19 this year – and end on Anant Chaturdashi (September 28 this year).