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Ganesh Visarjan
Ganesh festival culminated on a teary note for lakhs of devotees who bid farewell to the adorable elephant-headed god they consecrated and worshipped for ten days, while at least seven persons died in various incidents, including drowning, after immersing idols in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. In Maharashtra, four persons drowned and 13 went missing in various water bodies in Thane, Pune, Nanded, Nashik, Jalgaon, and Amravati districts, officials said on Sunday. In Mumbai city, where immersion processions extend several hours, a man died of electrocution and five other individuals sustained injuries, civic officials said. The incident occurred on Khairani Road in the Sakinaka area on Sunday morning when a Ganesh idol came into contact with a hanging electric wire. In Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, two teenage boys drowned after falling into a stream during the immersion of an idol of Lord Ganesh, police said on Sunday. The boys drowned after falling into a stream during the
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 communit
The Bombay High Court on Thursday ordered immersion of all idols of up to six feet height in artificial tanks starting from the 10-day Ganesh festival being celebrated from August 27 this year. The order will be effective till March next year for the festivals that require immersion of idols of deities, including those made of Plaster of Paris (PoP). "The court has to make an endeavour that the impact of immersion of idols is bare minimum on the environment. Therefore, idols up to 6 feet should compulsorily be immersed in artificial water tanks," a bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne said. The high court further asked the state government to ensure implementation of its policy regarding immersion of idols in "letter and spirit". All the local bodies must ensure that the idols, up to six feet in height, are immersed in artificial water bodies, the bench said. The high court also asked the government to form an expert committee for suggesting measures to ...
Processions for the immersion of Lord Ganesh idols began in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra on Tuesday morning amid tight security and fanfare as the 10-day festival drew to a close. The 'Ganesh Chaturthi' festival, which began on September 7, is concluding with 'Anant Chaturdashi' on Tuesday. In Mumbai's Lalbaug area, famous for celebrating the festival with grandeur, the procession of the idol of Tejukaya mandal started amid the chants of 'Ganapati bappa morya, pudhchya varshi lavkar ya' (come soon next year Lord). The procession of the famous Lalbaugcha Raja idol, which attracts maximum number of devotees, celebrities and prominent personalities during the festival, is also set to begin. Processions from various parts of Mumbai, including Fort, Mazgaon, Byculla, Dadar, and Chembur, will make their way towards the Arabian Sea and other water bodies for the final immersion, marking the end of this year's festivities. Devotees thronged the streets, especially on the main roa
More than 48,000 idols of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Gauri were immersed in Mumbai on the sixth day of the festival dedicated to the elephant-headed deity, civic officials said on Friday. Of the 48,044 idols immersed in the Arabian Sea and artificial ponds in the city till 6 am on Friday, 41,154 were household Ganesh idols, while 535 belonged to sarvajanik mandals' (community groups). Officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said that 6,355 idols of Goddess Gauri were also immersed. The idols were immersed amid chants of Ganpati Bappa Morya', prayers and devotional songs. During the 10-day Ganpati festival, devotees bid an emotional farewell to the idols of their beloved deity after one-and-a-half days, five days, and six or seven days. According to BMC officials, 17,603 household Ganesh idols, 124 sarvajanik Ganpati idols, and 2,482 that of Gauri were put in artificial ponds, set up to avoid pollution of natural water bodies, across the city. No untoward incident
More than 2,500 Ganesh idols were immersed in Mumbai by Wednesday evening, on the fifth day of the festival dedicated to the elephant-headed deity, civic officials said. Of the 2,574 idols immersed in the sea and artificial ponds in the city till 6 pm, 2,533 were from households and 16 belonged to sarvajanik mandals' (community groups), said the officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). During the 10-day Ganpati festival, devotees usually bid an emotional farewell to the idols of their beloved deity after one-and-a-half days, five days, and seven days. Of the Ganesh idols immersed on the fifth day so far, 1,092, including 1,081 household idols, were put in artificial ponds, set up to avoid pollution of natural water bodies, across the city. Eight sarvajanik Ganesh idols were immersed in these artificial ponds. No untoward incident was reported anywhere during the immersion, said the BMC. Ganeshotsav, which started with Ganesh Chaturthi on September 7, is one of
The DPCC has prohibited the immersion of idols in the Yamuna and other water bodies and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on violators, ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Pooja celebrations. In an order issued by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) on Wednesday, local civil bodies have been tasked with creating temporary immersion sites or artificial ponds near residential areas. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in 2019 and 2021 issued directives, prohibiting idol immersion in Ganga and its tributaries, specifying that violators will have to pay Rs 50,000 as environmental compensation. "The Delhi Police and municipal bodies will work together to enforce these guidelines and take action against illegal idol-making operations," the DPCC order stated. DPCC further directed the officials to monitor vehicles carrying prohibited idols. "Violators of the guidelines will face fines of up to Rs. 50,000, with continued non-compliance potentially resulting in penalties ran
As the 10-day-long Ganeshotsav drew to a close on Thursday, thousands of idols of the elephant-headed god were immersed in water bodies, including artificial ponds, in Mumbai in the presence of a sea of devotees. The city's famous Lalbaugcha Raja idol, whose procession started at 11.30 am on Thursday, was immersed around 9.15 am on Friday, said officials. More than 37,599 idols were immersed across the city till 3 am on Friday, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). A 16-year-old boy drowned in the sea off the Juhu beach on Thursday evening. Amid the beating of drums and chants of Ganpati Bappa Morya', various Ganesh mandals in the city started processions on Thursday to immerse the idols of the deity, marking the culmination of the 10-day festival. The procession of the Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh idol started at 11.30 am and it was immersed in the sea off the Girgaum Chowpatty around 9.15 am on Friday, said officials. Of the 37,599 idols immersed until 3 am on Fr
On the second day of the 10-day Ganesh festival, several devotees in Mumbai bid farewell to the idols of their favourite deity after worshipping them for one and a half days. People took out processions of idols with devotion and enthusiasm, with many devotees dancing their way to the sites of immersion. According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), 195 household Ganapati idols and one sarvajanik (community) Ganapati idols were immersed in the sea and other water bodies, including artificial ponds. As many as 50 Ganpati idols were immersed in artificial ponds that have been created specifically to reduce water pollution, the BMC said. No untoward incident was reported anywhere during immersion so far on Wednesday, officials said. The BMC has earmarked 69 natural water bodies, including stretches off the coast, and set up 191 artificial ponds for immersion this year. The 10-day Ganeshotsav began in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra on Tuesday, with the installation of