Mumbai, Sep 18 (PTI) Around 2.1 lakh idols were immersed in Mumbai over the 11 days of the Ganesh festival this year including over 37,000 idols on the final day, civic officials said on Wednesday.
The city’s favorite festival began on September 7 and culminated on September 17, though immersion processions towards the seashore continued even on Wednesday.
A total of 2,09,021 idols of Ganapati, Goddess Gauri and Goddess Hartalika were immersed the Arabian sea, lakes and artificial ponds set up by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, officials said.
Amid chants of “Ganapati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya” (Come sooner next year), lakhs of devotees bid farewell to the elephant-headed deity.
As many as 1.91 lakh household Ganesh, 10,369 Sarvajanik (community) Ganapati idols, and 6,758 idols of Gauri and Hartalika were immersed over 11 days.
The numbers showed a slight increase over 2023 when some 2.05 lakh idols had been immersed.
There was a rise in the number of idols immersed in artificial ponds as well. Last year, 76,709 idols were immersed in these ponds, set up with the objective of avoiding pollution of natural water bodies, while the number rose to 82,005 in 2024.
The highest number of immersions took place on the second day of the festival, with 66,339 idols immersed. This was followed by 48,004 immersions on the sixth day, 38,717 on the fifth day, 37,534 on the 11th day, and 18,427 on the seventh day, BMC data showed.
As many as 37,534 idols immersed on the last day, including 6,315 community Ganapati idols. Of these, 11,364 were immersed in the 204 artificial ponds set up by the civic body.
No untoward incidents were reported though lakhs of people turned up on the streets to take part in or watch immersion processions on Tuesday.
Due to low tide, immersion of some community Ganapati idols was delayed at Malad-Marve beach till late Wednesday evening, officials said. PTI KK NP KRK
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