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Thousands of gigantic, large, medium and small idols of the elephant-headed god, Lord Ganesha, were taken out for immersion to various water bodies on Anant Chaturdashi, marking the end of the 12-day long Ganeshotsav in Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra on Tuesday. The idols were moved from their pedestals amid chanting of the “udvasana mantra” and taken out of the various marquees, societies and individual homes, in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Nashik, coastal Konkan districts and other towns in the state. This was the 125th year of the state’s biggest public festival. [caption id=“attachment_3937795” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational images. Reuters[/caption] The idols were brought onto the roads to the accompaniment of ‘dhols’ (drums), cymbals, thousands dancing and chanting “Ganpati Bappa Moraya, Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya” (Lord Ganesha bless us, come soon next year), in clouds of auspicious red ‘gulaal’. Tight security by multiple agencies were in place in Mumbai since the Ganesh Chaturthi on August 25 with over 40,000 personnel of the Mumbai Police, teams of Fire Brigade, the Indian Navy, the Indian Coast Guard, disaster management, besides helicopters, high-speed patrol boats and hovercrafts on the coastline, and over 5,000 CCTVs in the city. Drones shall also be deployed for both aerial surveillance and beaming real-time images in Mumbai and other cities during the immersion ceremonies. While Disaster Amateur Radio Emergency Services, an amateur HAM radio operators team will be active at various spots. In Mumbai, the main immersion will be at the historic Girgaum Chowpatty with top officials like Police Commissioner Datta Padsalgikar and BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta personally monitoring the developments. Besides, thousands of idols are being taken for immersions at the Dadar Chowpatty, Mahim seaface, beaches of Juhu, Versova, Gorai, Madh, Marve, Manori, Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Aarey Milk Colony, natural ponds and artificial water bodies created for an eco-friendly immersion all over Mumbai. Besides Mumbai, the other major immersions have begun in the coastal district of Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg since daybreak, in the presence of lifeguards provided by various civic bodies and volunteers. This year, Mumbai hosted around 11,550 big Ganeshotsav celebrations with budgets running into several crores of rupees; 190,000 medium or small groups with budgets of around Rs 500,000 to Rs five million, and millions of individual households in Mumbai and rest of Maharashtra. Naresh Dahibhavkar, the President of BrihanMumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS), said this year there were around 300 gigantic idols in public marquees within the prescribed height limit of 18-feet. This year, the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation has made special arrangements for domestic and international tourists to view the immersion ceremonies at Girguam and other places as part of its new intiaitive – the Ganeshotsav Tourism. As usual, some of the biggest idols were seen at the famed Lalbaug-cha Raja, Ganesh Gully, Borivali’s Kastur Park, Sewri-cha Raja, Andheri-cha Raja, Fort-cha Raja, Khetwadi, Bandra and Shivaji Park and others which are due for immersions on Tuesday.
Ganesh Visarjan 2017 as it happened: Celebrations marred in Maharashtra as at least 12 dead during immersion rituals
The Ganesh idols were brought onto the roads to the accompaniment of ‘dhols’ (drums), cymbals, thousands dancing and chanting “Ganpati Bappa Moraya.
 "Ganesh Visarjan 2017 as it happened: Celebrations marred in Maharashtra as at least 12 dead during immersion rituals")
12 dead as 12-day Ganeshotsav ends in Maharashtra
At least 12 persons, including minors and an on-duty policeman, lost their lives during immersion ceremonies on Anant Chaturdashi, marking the end of the 12-day long Ganeshotsav celebrations throughout the state on Tuesday, officials said.
Four persons drowned in the Indrayani river in the twin cities of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, three in Aurangabad, two in Jalgaon and one each in Nashik and Beed during the day as thousands of the gigantic, large, medium and small idols of the popular elephant-headed god, Lord Ganesha, were taken out for immersions in various water bodies.
In Mumbai, an Assistant Sub-Inspector who was posted on Ganeshotsav duty at Lalbaug in Parel, suddenly collapsed and died. Further details were awaited.
One person was reported to be missing in Indrayani river in Pune and a search is on to trace him, officials said.
IANS
Watch: Latest visuals from Wadala as Mumbaikars celebrate Ganesh Visarjan
Watch: Vile Parlecha Raja at Juhu beach
One more youth killed at an immersion procession in Madhya Pradesh’s Shajapur
Youth dies after being stabbed during Ganesh Visarjan in Madhya Pradesh's Shajapur; police investigation on.
— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2017
Latest visuals from Dadar beach
Slow traffic between Haji Ali and Lotus Junction
#GanapatiVisarjan Due to Immersion Point at Lotus Junction, traffic is slow moving from Haji Ali towards Lotus Junction.#MumbaiPolice
— Ridlr Mumbai (@RidlrMUM) September 5, 2017
Watch 360 degree visuals from Girgaum Chowpatty
One killed in Rajasthan’s Kota, three others rescued
A youth drowned while immersing a Ganesha idol in the Chambal river in Rajasthan’s Kota district. Two others who fell along with him were rescued, India Today reported.
Traffic jams near Mahim Causeway
#Ganesha idol being immersed at Mumbai's Juhu Beach; crowds gather to bid farewell pic.twitter.com/Wr3ZzzwORQ
— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2017
Visuals from Girgaum Chowpatty
#Ganesha idol being immersed at Mumbai's Juhu Beach; crowds gather to bid farewell pic.twitter.com/Wr3ZzzwORQ
— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2017
In Pictures: Latest visuals from Dadar beach
Watch: Ganesha idols made using zero GST items
Telangana Home Minister Naini Narshimha Reddy takes airiel survey of Ganesh immersions
Telangana Home Minister Naini Narshimha Reddy undertook an aerial survey in Hyderabad to inspect Ganesha immersions. pic.twitter.com/xCgN8crRgS
— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2017
Route for immersion procession on Girgaum Chowpaty
#GanapatiVisarjan #Ganpati Procession at Girgaon Chowpatty .#MumbaiPolice https://t.co/ag1NeQoPgT pic.twitter.com/P1Wt5gyojl
— Ridlr Mumbai (@RidlrMUM) September 5, 2017
Schedule of special local trains between Churchgate Virar
Hindustan masjid, Bhiwandi welcome the Ganapati devotees with flowers, drinking water
Trustees of Hindustan masjid, Bhiwandi welcome the Ganapati mandals during procession by offering flowers & water #GaneshVisarjan pic.twitter.com/gu2OPjpj0B
— Thane Police Commissionerate पोलीस आयुक्तालय, ठाणे (@ThaneCityPolice) September 5, 2017
Four people drown in maharashtra during Ganesha immersions
Four people lost their lives on Tuesday in Ganesh visarjan-related incidents.
Three children, aged between 8 and 10 years have drowned in Aurangabad during Ganesha idol immersioin. The incident took place in Shivnai lake, Bidkin, Aurangabad. The names of the three children were: Adarsh Kirtishai, Sagar Telbhate, and Rajesh Gaikwad
In a separate incident in Nashik, 20-year-old Kishor Kailas Lolage drowned while participating in visarjan.
Anti-China slogans, placards in Ganesh procession
Every year, organisers of Ganesh festival come out with innovative ideas to highlight current issues. This year, participants at a Ganesh immersion procession raised anti-China slogans and held placards calling for boycott of Chinese products.
Wearing saffron caps, some of them raised slogans against Beijing in front of one of the idols in the immersion procession on Tuesday. “Boycott Made in China products” was the slogan on one of the placards held by them.
They also raised slogans of “Indian Army zindabad’ and “Bharat mata ki jai”.
16 special local trains to run on Anant Chaturdashi
Watch: Ganpati carved out of sand on Dadar Chowpati to mark Ganesh Visarjan
Watch: Ganpati Visarjan at Juhu beach
Mumbai Ganesh Visarjan 3 pm update
So far 80 Sarvajanik Mandal idols have been immersed, 3607 Gharguti idols, 30 Gouri idols. A total of 3742 idols have been immersed so far. Several people also chose to immerse idols in Artificial lakes, including chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, to celebrate an eco-friendly Ganesh Visarjan.
Ganesh procession underway in Hyderabad amid tight security
The mammoth Ganesh procession was underway in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana amid tight security on Tuesday, marking the culmination of the 11-day festivities.
Thousands of idols of different sizes and different avatars’ from various parts of Hyderabad and outskirts were being carried for immersion in Hussain Sagar, the lake which divides the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
The idols were also being immersed in lakes and water bodies in different parts of the city and outskirts.
About 15 lakh people were expected to join the immersion processions, including the main processions, as over 27,000 security personnel have been deployed to maintain peace.
In a departure from the past, the tallest idol installed every year at Khairatabad was the first to begin its journey towards Hussain Sagar. Huge cranes were deployed for immersion of the 57-foot-tall idol.
Watch: Celebrations in full swing at Dadar beach
DidYouKnow: Andhericha Raja is traditionally the last idol in Mumbai to bid adieu
The immersion of this legendary Ganesh Pandal does not happen on Anant Chaturdashi. Instead, Andhericha Raja will head to the sea on Sankashthi Chaturthi,which will fall on 9 September, 2017. It will go from Azad Nagar II to Veera Desai Road and then SV Road. From there, it will move to Andheri Market and then Navrang Cinema, Sony Mony and Apna Bazaar. It will proceed to Four Bungalows from the Indian Oil Nagar Junction and then to Seven Bungalows, before finally heading to Versova Bus Depot and then Versova Village for immersion in the late morning hours of 10 September.
With inputs from in.com
Traffic Guidelines for Mumbaikars heading towards South Bombay/ Juhu/ Versova beach
#Traffic guidelines/diversions on Ganpati immersion routes today, for devotees heading towards South&Central Mumbai, Juhu & Versova Beach pic.twitter.com/OvboifCrVH
— मुंबई पोलीस - Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) September 5, 2017
Over 11,000 community Ganesh mandals to take out immersion processions today
On 5th September the 12-day-long Ganesha festival will come to an end with the visarjan (Ganpati idol immersion in the sea) of idols on the occassion of Anant Chaturdashi. More than 11000 big ganesh mandal ganpati idols will be immersed at Chowpati at Girgaon, Dadar, Juhu, Versova and Powai lake too.
Watch: immersion procession from Mumbai’s famous Lalbaug cha Raja Ganesha Pandal
#WATCH Idol immersion procession of Mumbai's #LalbaugChaRaja #GaneshChaturthi pic.twitter.com/ttDpIxGJ23
— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2017
In Pictures: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis immersed his Ganesha idol in an artrificial pond at his residence
#Mumbai Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis immerses Ganesha idol in an artificial pond at his residence pic.twitter.com/b6x245OAEf
— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2017
Watch: immersion procession from GSB Ram Mandir Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav
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