Day 5 of Ganeshotsav: 45,418 idols immersed in Mumbai

According to the civic body’s disaster control department, 7,585 household, 522 Gauri and 102 sarvajanik idols were immersed in artificial lakes.

More than 45,000 idols – 41,228 household and 672 sarvajanik Ganpatis, and 3,518 Gauris – were immersed in natural water bodies on Monday, the fifth day of the Ganesh festival.

Devotees bid their final adieu to Bappa at the end of the fifth day at Versova beach. (Ragul Krishnan/HT)

According to the civic body’s disaster control department, 7,585 household, 522 Gauri and 102 sarvajanik idols were immersed in artificial lakes. Last year, 16,436 idols were immersed on fifth and sixth days, with 5,000 in artificial lakes. In 2017, for the first time in 63 years, Goud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) Seva Mandal at King’s Circle had immersed the idol on sixth day owing to the floods.

“We are expecting maximum household idols to be immersed, which could be around 70% of the total number,” said Girish Walavalkar, secretary, Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshostsav Samanvay Samiti
(BSGSS), the umbrella body of mandals.

With 33 artificial ponds provided by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a lot of household Ganpatis are being taken to these ponds, instead of natural water bodies.

Shreyas Bhatkar, a digital marketing executive from Vikhroli, who got an idol made of shadu, said he preferred immersing the idol in an artificial pond at Bhandup as it was “eco-friendly”.

Santosh Bang, a CA who used to travel to Powai for immersion three years ago, switched to a nearby artificial pond as she wanted to avoid traffic and rush at the lake