Mumbai bids grand farewell to Ganpati; 21K idols immersed against all odds

Rains and a bomb threat failed to dampen the spirit of devotees of Lord Ganesh in Mumbai as they gathered in large numbers to bid adieu to their beloved deity amid the beating of 'dhol-tasha' and clouds of 'gulal' rising in the air as the 10-day Ganpati festival drew to a close on Saturday.

Till 3 pm, more than 2,100 Ganpati idols were immersed in various water bodies in Mumbai, officials said.

Scores of people were seen sitting on road dividers, terraces of buildings, balconies, trees, and poles to catch a glimpse of the grand finale as the idols made their way to the city's beaches and other water bodies amid chants of 'Ganpati Bappa Morya, pudhachya varshi lavkar ya' - a fervent wish for the god's early return next year.

Earlier in the day, 'rangolis' were drawn on roads, even as parts of the city witnessed light to moderate showers since morning.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), 2,198 Ganapati idols, including 59 of 'Sarvajanik mandals' (local community groups) and 87 of Goddess idols immersed in natural water bodies and artificial ponds created by the civic body by 3 pm.

At Lalbaug in central Mumbai, famous for its iconic Ganapati mandals, the processions began with idols of Tejukaya, Ganesh Gully, and several other mandals. Thousands gathered along the streets of Lalbaug and other major procession routes to bid farewell to their favourite deity, with prayers on their lips and to witness the vibrant spectacle filled with music, dance, and clouds of celebratory 'gulal' (vermillion powder). "No untoward incident reported during the immersion process," a BMC official said. Processions of the famous Ganpatis from Lalbaug, including Lalbaugcha Raja, Chinchpoklicha Chintamani, Ballaleshwar of Bal Ganesh Mandal, Mumbaicha Raja of Ganesh Galli, Mahaganapati of Kalachowki, Rangari Badak Chawl Ganapati, and Tejukaya Ganapati, had reached the main road by 1 pm. Crowds assembled at Shroff Building in Lalbaug, from where the traditional "pushpa vrishti" (flower shower) was performed on the Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh idol around 5.30 pm with a model of a Rafale aircraft pulled using a rope contraption. The procession of this iconic Ganesh mandal is likely to reach the Girgaon Chowpatty shore on Sunday morning.

The procession passes through Byculla, Nagpada, Don Taki and Goldevool areas before reaching the immersion point. The Seva Sadan Mandal used an icon of "Abhijat Marathi" for its procession, as Marathi has been declared a classical language this year. The procession of the Rangari Badak Chawl was the first to receive 'Pushpavrishti' at Shroff Building, followed by the Cotton Green cha Raja Ganesh idol. Major processions from Lalbaug, Parel, Kalachowki, and other areas of central Mumbai began moving towards the seafronts after 1.30 pm.

More than 21,000 police personnel have been deployed in the city to maintain law and order during the idol immersions.

The city police were on alert after receiving a threat message claiming 14 terrorists had entered the city with 400 kilograms of RDX that had been planted in 34 vehicles, an official said.

The threat message was received on the traffic police's WhatsApp helpline on Thursday while the metropolitan force was making security arrangements for Anant Chaturdashi, the last day of the Ganesh festival.

The police later arrested a 50-year-old man from Noida in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly sending the threat message.

The crime branch apprehended the accused, Ashwinikumar Supra, from his residence in Noida within 24 hours of receiving the threat message, the official said.