Maharashtra on Sunday saw an emotional farewell to Lord Ganesha as the 11-day Ganeshotsav concluded with massive immersion processions attended by lakhs of devotees across the state. However, amid the jubilant atmosphere, some tragic incidents were also reported. According to officials, at least nine people drowned and 12 others went missing in immersion-related accidents.
The accidents were reported from Thane, Pune, Nanded, Nashik, Jalgaon, Washim, Palghar, and Amravati districts, making it clear that, along with the grandeur of this religious tradition, there are risks too.
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The immersion of Mumbai's famous Lalbaugcha Raja was delayed this time. The idol was immersed in the Arabian Sea at around 9:15 pm on Sunday night, even though it had reached Girgaon Chowpatty, the authorised immersion site in south Mumbai, about 12 hours earlier.
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Amid cheers of thousands of devotees, the roar of drums and sounds of firecrackers, a specially designed raft, pulled by fishermen's boats and escorted by police, carried the idol into the sea and immersed it in the deep waters. The immersion was one of the most delayed events as the idol left Lalbaug at 12:30 pm on Saturday and took over 32 hours to reach the sea. Usually, the immersion takes place before 9 am.
The delay was due to high waves in the sea and technical problems with the mechanical raft.
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