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Mumbai waves goodbye to smaller Bappas

Hindustan Times | ByYesha Kotak, Mumbai
Sep 20, 2018 12:39 AM IST

Around 7,780 idols were immersed on the seventh day of the Ganeshotsav on Wednesday

Around 7,780 idols were immersed on the seventh day of the Ganeshotsav on Wednesday. Fewer mandals and households immersed idols, as compared to the 79,447 idols immersed on Monday, the fifth day of the festival.

Girish Walavalkar, secretary, Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshostsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS), said that more idols were immersed on Monday as this year, Gauri visarjan coincided with fifth day Ganpati visarjan.

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According to data by the civic body’s disaster control department as of 9pm on Wednesday, 7,305 immersions were gharguti (household) Ganpatis, 385 sarvajanik Ganpatis and 90 Gauri idols on the seventh day.

“Only those households who follow old traditions carry out the visarjan on seventh day. There are fewer sarvajanik visarjans done today [Wednesday] because most of the sarvajanik Ganpatis are immersed on the tenth day,” said Walavalka.

According to BSGSS, the umbrella body of mandals in the city, only 10% of the total idols in the city will be immersed over the next three days.

Last year, 73,754 immersions were carried out on the seventh day, which included 65,380 household Ganpatis. Around 8,243 idols, including household Ganpatis, sarvajanik Ganpatis and Gauris, were immersed in artificial ponds.

“Powai Lake has become popular for visarjan lately because of its proximity with the western and central lines,” said Walavalkar.

Prashant Thakker, a stock market trader, has been taking his household Ganpati for visarjan to Juhu beach for the last 28 years. He said he doesn’t immerse the idol in the artificial pond as he is following tradition. However, he intends to switch to an eco-friendly idol and immersion procedure in the coming years.

“Over the last five years, I have noticed that the traffic situation and the arrangement at beach have gotten better, because I don’t really have to wait for hours in traffic and the arrangements at the beach are quite environment friendly now,” said Thakker.

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