The immersion of the iconic Lalbaugcha Raja took place at 9:15 pm on Sunday, marking the first time in history that the ritual was delayed on Anant Chaturdashi. The delay, which extended the immersion by 33 hours, was attributed to poor planning and coordination by the mandals.
The idol was stranded at the Girgaon Chowpatty beachfront from 8 am on Sunday after the 24-hour procession reached the seashore late and was hit by high tide at 11:40 am. Compounding the issue, the mandal had procured a new float equipped with sprinklers and lights, but the vessel proved unstable, preventing volunteers from loading the heavy idol onto it.
For the past 24 years, the Koli fishermen of Badhwar Park in Colaba have been conducting the immersion without any issues. After the mishap, the mandal sought their assistance again. The Kolis recommended a window between 10:30 pm and 11 pm to retry the immersion, which was successfully carried out later.
Speaking on the issue, Lalbaugcha Raja secretary Sudhir Salvi said, “High tide arrived early, and it had been raining for the past two days. We were caught between the tides. We normally load the idol during low tide and set it afloat at high tide. I express regret for the delay. Our planning has never failed before.”
Meanwhile, another popular idol, Parelcha Maharaja, the “flying” idol and a highlight of this year’s celebrations, was abandoned on the Chowpatty seafront by mandal members. Such instances are not uncommon, as mandals often leave large idols on beaches expecting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to complete the immersion.
As of 6 pm on Sunday, more than 36,000 idols, including 5,937 community idols, 30,490 household idols, and 319 Hartalika/Gauri idols, were immersed across the city. Nearly 2 lakh idols were immersed in 70 natural water bodies and 290 artificial ponds created by the BMC during this year’s Ganeshotsav.
The BMC also collected 508 tonnes of floral waste and deployed 10,000 personnel, including officials, while establishing 245 control rooms to oversee immersion arrangements.
Meanwhile, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) Satyanarayan Choudhary confirmed that immersion was successfully conducted at 300 venues, with around 6,000 community idols and thousands of household idols immersed without incident.
However, Shahapur taluka in Thane district saw a tragedy on the final day of Ganpati immersions when three devotees were swept away in the Bharangi river on Saturday evening. The incident occurred at 7:30 pm in Mundewadi village, where immersion was underway. Strong currents worsened by heavy rain pulled 21-year-old Pratik Munde, 30-year-old Dattu Kote, and 35-year-old Kuldeep Jakhare under. Munde and Kote’s bodies were recovered, while Jakhare remains missing despite ongoing search operations.
