The wettest day Mumbai has seen in 20 years, 29 August 2017, was sadly also the fifth day of visarjan or immersion of Ganpati idols.
While the Mumbai police did offer support to those who chose to go ahead with the immersion process, despite many on social media discouraging the same, a number of Ganpati hosts decided to defer their bappa’s exit.
GSB King's Circle, which hosts the city's largest Ganpati, usually immerses the idol on the fifth day. However, rains played a damper on the mandal's plan. Speaking to the Times of India, RG Bhatt, a trustee, said that the mandal was constantly monitoring alerts and weather reports in the hopes that the water levels would recede, but to no avail.
The mandal immerses the Ganpati in the Girgaum Chowpatty, and takes the Sion-Matunga roads, all of which are flooded.
We will not venture till water levels recede. We will consult our spiritual guru on steps to take in case we are delayed.
Meanwhile in Giraguam, the Kesahvji Naik Chawl was hosting its 125th idol this year, but did not venture out for immersion.
It is sad to see people waiting for water to recede before they head out.Vinod Satpute from the Chawl, to TOI.
A Longer Guest Than Usual
Some mandals in Thane postponed the immersion process, instead performing puja for extra days.
"As the hours passed, the flood situation worsened. We did not want to take the risk of stepping out in heavy rains with the society’s Ganesh idol. So we did uttar puja and moved the idol a bit. We will immerse the idol on the sixth or seventh day," Kshitij Ware, resident of Vijay Nagari Annex to TOI.
Elsewhere, Rains Fail to Break Spirits
Despite the rains, many people in various parts of the city went ahead with the visarjan.
Seeing the heavy rains, initially we had decided not to venture out. But when the showers receded to a drizzle, we quickly did the puja and left for Masunda lake to complete immersion.Deepa Chitre who lives near Nitin Company to TOI
The Girgaum Chowpatty saw sporadic bursts of families and people gathering to immerse idols even in the rains, and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation was adequately prepared. Where only 40 trained lifeguards are stationed for the purpose, 20 additional lifeguards were pulled into duty, anticipating rough waters and an undeterred crowd.
Kishore Kshirsagar, assistant municipal commissioner of D Ward did not allow any boats or floats to be taken out into the rains. "On the fifth day, mostly residential idols are brought for immersion which can be handled by the lifeguards easily without a boat. We constantly advised people to stay well behind and allow the trained lifeguards to carry their idols," he told Indian Express.
By 6 pm on Tuesday, over 70 idols had been immersed in the waters.
The Versova and Juhu beaches saw more crowds than Girgaum, most of the people here were immersing residential idols. Prashant Gaikwad, assistant municipal commissioner K west ward told Indian Express that by 8 pm, 12 public pandal idols and 376 residential idols had been immersed at Versova.
While fewer people generally immerse their idols on the fifth day, the day also reportedly marks the arrival of Gauri into the households. While many family bring out masks from earlier years to perform puja, several others buy new idols for the same.
A women's group in Vasai named Diwanman Sarvajanik Gauri Utsav Mahila Mandal is one such mandal, who have brought a new idol of Gauri for the last 45 years, and did not intend on breaking tradition this year. According to TOI, the women brought the idol amid rains on 29 August, taking turns to carry the idol on their head for the 15-km stretch to the mandal.
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