| Amidst drumbeats and chants of Ganpati Bappa Moriya, devotees in Maharashtra bid farewell to their favourite deity today as thousands of Ganesh idols were taken out for immersion into the sea under unprecedented security. As the 10-day Ganesh festival drew to a close, the idols of the God of Wisdom, in different shapes and sizes, were being taken to various sea-fronts, including Dadar, Girgaum, Juhu and Marve, for the visarjan.
The immersion processions would go on till early tomorrow morning, as some of the city’s well-known Ganeshas, such as Lalbaugcha Raja, pass their way through streets and bylanes, stopping at every locality to enable people to pay their respects.
According to the police, more than 1.25 lakh idols would be immersed by the end of the day.
This year, a heavy police presence was evident, especially at major points such as Shivaji Park, Dadar sea face, Worli, Giragaum and Juhu, in view of the threat perception. Apart from the city’s police force, an additional force of 2,400 policemen from other parts of the state have been deployed in the city.
In addition, 10 companies of the State Reserve Police Force, six CRPF companies, three of the RAF, 800 home guards, 300 civil defence and 500 private security guards have been deployed. In all, 43,000 security personnel and more than 50,000 volunteers were out on the streets. |
