61,640 Ganesh Idols Immersed Across Mumbai After 1.5 Days

Mumbai witnessed a large-scale immersion of Lord Ganesh idols after one-and-a-half days of festivities, with 61,640 idols immersed across the city by 6 am on Wednesday, civic officials said.

The immersions took place amid chants of “Ganpati Bappa Morya” at various natural water bodies and artificial immersion facilities arranged by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Of the total, 61,247 were household idols, while 301 belonged to Sarvajanik Ganapati mandals. Another 92 Hartalika idols were immersed during the period.

The latest figure marked a substantial rise from the 24,631 Ganesh idols immersed by 9 pm on Tuesday. That figure comprised 24,521 household idols and 110 public mandal idols, while 600 Hartalika idols were also immersed by that time.

The BMC had made arrangements at several immersion points, including artificial ponds, to facilitate the process and manage the large crowds. The immersion operations passed off without any untoward incident, officials said.

The city is observing a 12-day Ganesh festival this year, with different traditions allowing devotees to immerse idols after one-and-a-half days, five days, seven days or at the conclusion of the celebrations. The festival began on September 14.

Mumbai has also stepped up preparations for the remaining immersion days, with civic and police agencies coordinating crowd management, traffic and safety measures. More than 16,000 police personnel, including senior officers, have been deployed across the city for the festival.

The festivities will culminate with Anant Chaturdashi on September 25, when thousands of devotees are expected to take part in colourful processions before immersing their idols.

The BMC has increasingly promoted artificial immersion facilities as part of efforts to reduce the impact of idol immersions on natural water bodies. In the 2025 festival, nearly 98 per cent of idols were reportedly immersed in artificial tanks, according to BMC data.