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Mumbai: 2.09 lakh idols immersed in this Ganeshotsav
Friday’s count takes the total number of idols immersed this festive season to 2,09,602 as against 2,17,761 last year — a drop of 8,159 idols.
Despite heavy rain in Mumbai on Thursday and Friday morning, devotees immersed 41,441 Ganesha idols at various immersions spots across the city.
Of these, 8,016 idols were from Sarvajanik mandals, 33,319 idols from households and 106 Gauri Ganesha idols were immersed from 3pm onwards on Thursday till 9am on Friday, marking the end of the 11-day festival.
Friday’s count takes the total number of idols immersed this festive season to 2,09,602 as against 2,17,761 last year — a drop of 8,159 idols. The number of idols immersed on the last day was also the least over the past four years.
The number of artificial immersions, on the other hand were much lesser as compared to natural immersions on the last day. A total of 3,118 idols were immersed across 31 artificial immersion spots located across 24 wards in Mumbai:155 were Sarvajanik idols; 2,958 were household and five Gauri Ganesh.
“While the majority of the immersion processions were smooth owing to the support from the Mumbai police, some processions at Girgaum , Juhu and other beaches went on till late since they started late,” said Tukaram Raut, treasurer, Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti, the umbrella body for Ganesh mandals. “This happened as some of the mandals celebrated their golden jubilee anniversaries. However, police personnel stopped the use of loudspeakers by 12am at most residential areas.”
Meanwhile, some Mumbaiites said that the immersion processions went on at areas such as Girgaum chowpatty till 1am, others complained about traffic snarls at different parts of the city.
“Noise from political processions using loudspeakers were not stopped till 1am on Friday morning after repeated complaints to the Mumbai police,” said Aadesh Dhodi, a resident of Girgaum.
Sutendra Patil, a resident of Parel, said, “My family and I experienced a massive traffic jam at Tulsi Pipe road on Thursday evening. However, our immersion process was smooth due to help from lifeguards at Girgaum chowpatty later on Friday.”
Officials from the civic body’s disaster control said no untoward incident was reported from any of the natural or artificial immersion sites between Thursday and Friday.
Clean-up marshals began their work post immersions on Friday morning, with civic body workers across all natural immersion sites collecting idol parts and close to 300 residents from Powai cleaned up the lake on Friday morning.
41,441 idols immersed on the last day
2,09,602 immersions over five immersion days in Mumbai
September 6 (one-and-a-half day of immersions): 68,353 idols
September 9 (fifth immersion day):31,088 idols
September 10 (Gauri visarjan day): 49,757 idols
September 11 (seventh day of immersion):18,963 idols
September 15,16 (last day of immersion): 41,441 idols
Total number of immersions in 2015: 2,17,761
Total number of idols immersed on the last day of Ganeshotsav at beaches such as Girgaum Chowpatty, Juhu, Versova, Aksa, Dadar and other natural and artificial lakes across the city:
· 41,441 in 2016
· 50,250 in 2015
· 45,458 in 2014
· 42,355 in 2013
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