Over 48,000 Ganesh, Gauri idols immersed in Mumbai on 6th day of festival

Mumbai: 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 was reported anywhere during the immersion, said the BMC.

Ganeshotsav, which started with Ganesh Chaturthi on September 7, is one of the biggest festivals in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra. The festivities will end with Anant Chaturdashi on September 17 this year.