Markets were bustling and streets were crowded. A live stream of the procession was arranged so that people could watch it from their homes,” Balasaheb Kamble, president of the mandal, said. On the fifth day of Ganesh festival, September 14, a total of 37,439 Ganesh idols were immersed in water bodies across Mumbai till 9 pm, with no untoward incident being reported for anywhere so far, a BMC official said. MUMBAI, Sept 9 As Indias financial capital, Mumbai, gets ready for its biggest festival of the year, daily coronavirus cases have surged, rising more than two-fold in less than a month, even as authorities imposed curbs to prevent a further spike. “We followed the same route but finished sooner since large processions are banned. The visarjan procession began at 10.30 am Sunday and was completed by 1 pm, unlike the 14-hour yatra in previous years. However, despite the order, many people gathered at Girgaon Chowpatty on Sunday afternoon for the Lalabaug cha Raja immersion.
Mumbai Police had issued an order stating that assembly of more than five people will not be allowed in any public place, including pandals, during festival days and an FIR would be registered under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for violations. The residents of Laxmi Nagar had consumed spurious alcohol that had methanol instead of ethanol. This year, visiting pandals was also banned owing to Covid-related restrictions. Ganesh mandals carry some social message or the other or events that have captured public imagination at the pandals set up during the 10-day festival in the city. Of the 1.96 lakh idol immersions in 2019, 33,925 idols were in artificial lakes. A total of 79,129 idols were immersed in artificial lakes, a slight increase from 70,233 last year. Asia Coronavirus stifles Ganesh festival celebrations in Mumbai Celebrations for the 11-day Hindu festival Ganesh Chaturthi have been scaled down across India amid COVID-19. Of the total, the highest immersion of 66,299 idols took place on the 5th day of Ganeshotsav. The immersion concludes the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India, on August 29, 2014, and symbolizes Ganesha's return home where he takes away all of mankind's misfortunes along with him. Also Read | Anant Chaturdashi: Immersion rituals conclude at Manache Ganpati A very tall idol of the elephant-headed Hindu God, Ganesha, is carried by devotees to the Arabian Sea where it will be immersed into the waters.