The 10-day festival of Ganeshotsav will end on September 6. To manage the crowd during the Anant Chaturdashi, the Western Railway (WR) will run six pairs of special Mumbai local trains. The trains will operate from Churchgate to Virar on the intervening night of September 6 and 7. The Western Railway said that the additional services will ensure that devotees travel smoothly, as many will be heading to various immersion sites across the city. The WR appealed to the passengers to check the timings of the trains and plan their journeys, and avoid any last-minute rush. Check the timetable of trains below:
On the fifth day of the Ganpati Festival, over 40,000 idols of Lord Ganesh were immersed in water bodies and official ponds of Mumbai, civic officials said. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials said that no accidents have been reported in the city during the idol immersion process.
This festival, full of devotion, began on Ganesh Chaturthi on August 27 and will end on Anant Chaturdashi on September 6. Many devotees immerse idols after 1.5 days, 3 days, 5 days, and 7 days as well. On the fifth day of Ganesh festivities, officials reported that by 9 am on September 1, a total of 40,225 idols had been immersed in the sea, other natural water bodies, and specially created artificial ponds. This figure included 39,037 household Ganpati idols, 1,175 idols installed by public mandals, and 13 idols of Goddess Hartalika. Earlier, on August 29, 60,177 Ganpati idols were immersed. Of these, 29,683 were crafted from Plaster of Paris (PoP), while 30,494 were made using eco-friendly clay.
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The civic body stated that nearly 290 artificial ponds were set up across the city to facilitate idol immersions, in addition to around 70 natural sites, including chowpatties, lakes, and seashores. To minimize environmental damage, citizens have been encouraged to immerse eco-friendly idols in household buckets or drums. PoP idols measuring less than six feet in height, however, must be immersed in artificial ponds.
Promoting its eco-friendly Ganpati campaign, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has provided free land to 1,022 idol makers for setting up pandals. It has also distributed 990 metric tonnes of natural clay (shadu mati) and 10,800 litres of eco-friendly paint, which included 3,000 litres of primer. These initiatives are aimed at encouraging the shift from PoP idols to sustainable alternatives.