Category Archives: Visarjan
14 ghats adopted for Lord Ganesha immersion in Pune
PUNE: A social organisation, eCoexist, has joined hands with the SWaCH cooperative to ‘adopt a ghat’ during idol immersion this Ganesh festival. So far, three corporates have adopted 14 ghats (river banks used for religious ceremonies) in the city. The idea is to keep rivers clean.
Besides providing funds to keep the ghats clean, employees of these corporate houses will help collect and dispose of ‘nirmalya’ which is thrown in water bodies at the time of immersion.
Manisha Gutman, the founder of eCOexist told TOI that for the first time corporates have taken the initiative to clean rivers during immersion. The volunteers will sensitise people on the harmful effects of immersing idols in rivers and divert them to immersion tanks provided by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).
Bandra Reclamation may be visarjan spot
By: Urvashi Seth, Mid-Day
Members of the Ganesh Mandals will be meeting traffic cops today, to request permission for immersion of idols at the water body adjacent to the reclaimed land
Mumbai: Finding it impossible to manage the swelling crowds of devotees at the immersion spots during Ganesh Chaturthi every year, the apex body of Ganesh Mandals have decided to renew their campaign to acquire permission for idol immersion in the water body at the Bandra Reclamation (BR).
Members of the Ganesh Mandal Samiti have scheduled a meeting with the Mumbai traffic cops today, to discuss the feasibility of this move.
Over the last few years, the Ganesh Mandal Samiti has been complaining about the unmanageable crowds at immersion spots like Dadar and Mahim beach, where devotees are forced to wait for long hours for immersion of Ganesh idols.
Last year, a team of representatives had made a presentation to the chief minister, but their camping had failed to bear fruit.
Speaking to MiD DAY, Naresh Dahibawkar, secretary of the Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti said, “For the last few years, we have been demanding that the Bandra Reclamation be added to the list of visarjan spots.
Unfortunately, our pleas and requests have fallen on deaf ears. We will be meeting the traffic cops today, and appeal to them to consider our recommendation. The traffic department plays a major role in management of crowds during the Ganeshotsav festival, manning traffic.”
Insisting that this would be in the interest of devotees, Dahibawkar said, “On the designated days for immersion, the devotees flock to the immersion spots at Shivaji Park and Mahim Chowpatty.
It is hazardous for devotees who have congregated. If immersions are allowed at water bodies adjacent to the BR, traffic will be distributed evenly. Moreover, BR has enough parking space to accommodate large crowds,” he said.
These requests bear echoes of those made by members of the Fishermen Organisation of Mahim a few years back, following reports on the deteriorating condition of the Dadar beach due to heavy immersion in its waters.
Commenting on the issue, Brijesh Singh, Additional Commissioner of police (Traffic) said, “We will have to study the location and the impact of the same on traffic. Only after studying the entire situation will we be able to say anything.”
1,84,981
Number of Ganesh idols immersed in 2010
1,87,506
Number of Ganesh idols immersed in 2009
Visarjan Experts from Solapur in Mumbai
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| A file photo of a devotee immersing a Ganesha idol at Shivaji Park at the end of Chaturthi celebrations |
Ganesha devotees visiting Juhu beach for visarjan have found themselves being chased by a band of eager youngsters. These young men travel all the way from Solapur to be in Mumbai during Ganesh Chaturthi every year, to help devotees immerse their idols in choppy waters. Waiting for your nod, the boys quickly take charge of the idol, and plunge into the deep ocean to immerse it while you watch from the comfort of the shore.
A seven year trip
“I have been coming here for seven years with all friends for Ganesh Visarjan. I have great faith in Lord Ganesha. We carry the idol from the shore all the way into deep sea,” ‘expert’ Govind Pawar. He is one among a band of almost 50 men who throng the beach every year.
“I was fascinated with the celebrations when I first visited Mumbai, and decided to come here every year,” said Yogesh Kamble, another devotee-immersion agent.
Faith and a quick buck
The youth are all expert swimmers, and that’s a help for devotees who may shy away from tackling the sandy shore and going deep into the sea with their idols.
The Solapur youngsters say the annual visit makes them feel part of the celebrations and lends them a chance to make a quick buck.
“We are given anything from Rs 50 to Rs 100 for immersing each idol. We charge Rs 500 for the bigger murtis. We end up splitting the cash,” said Pawar.
Source: Mid-Day
Udupi: Immersion of Ganesha Idol at Brahmavar Evokes Cultural Merriment
News & Pics: Kevin Rodrigues
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (VA)
Udupi, Sep 16: After five days of worship, the idol of Lord Ganesh installed by the Ganeshotsav Committee for the 28th year at Brahmavar was taken for immersion in a procession on Wednesday September 15.
The procession started from the Government Primary School, Brahmavar, and made its way past the old bus stand, police station, AIR complex, Gandhi Maidan, and culminated in the lake at the Mahalingeshwar Temple, here. A colorful display of fireworks was held at Gandhi Maidan during the procession.
Thousands of devotees joined the procession and witnessed the immersion of the deity’s idol in the temple lake.
Vaman Pai of ‘Kuniyo Ganapa’ was the special attraction of the programme. Students of local college replicated the Gandhiji’s Dandi March in a performance on the occasion.
