The 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival will conclude today with the grand Ganpati Visarjan, marking the immersion of Lord Ganesha idols on Anant Chaturdashi.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, along with his wife, offered prayers during the Anant Chaturthi pooja at the Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple in Pune.
Celebrated with devotion and grandeur, Ganesh Chaturthi—also known as Vinayak Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi—honours Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and harbinger of new beginnings. The festival began on August 27, filling homes and pandals with decorated idols, prayers, music, and vibrant processions.
One of the most iconic highlights remains the Lalbaugcha Raja pandal in Mumbai, which continues to draw lakhs of devotees every year. Hosted by the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, it has been a spiritual and cultural centrepiece of the city’s celebrations for decades.
With lakhs expected to join the immersion processions, Mumbai Police have undertaken elaborate security arrangements.
Joint Police Commissioner (Law and Order) Satyanarayan Chaudhary said, “Immersion of around 6,500 Ganpatis of community mandals and over 1.5 lakh household Ganpatis will take place tomorrow. We have installed CCTV cameras, set up public address systems, deployed lifeguards, and barricaded 65 natural immersion spots and 205 ponds.”
For safety and order, the deployment includes:
- 10 additional commissioner-rank officers, 40 DCPs, 3,000 inspectors, and 15,000 constables
- 14 SRPF companies, 4 CAPF companies, and 3 riot control teams
- 10,000 CCTV cameras across Mumbai for surveillance
- Women police personnel, in both uniform and plain clothes, for women’s safety
- AI-powered crowd monitoring systems
Authorities have also issued prohibitory orders against photographing immersed idols, circulating such images on social media, and flying drones in restricted areas. Citizens needing assistance can contact the Police Control Room at 112.