First time: High tide delays Lalbaugcha Raja immersion

Mumbai witnessed a sea of devotees braving the rains on Sunday as they bid farewell to Lalbaugcha Raja during the grand Ganesh immersion. However, for the first time, the immersion of the iconic Lalbaugcha Raja idol was delayed due to a high tide, a news agency reported.

Generally, the Lalbaugcha Raja idol is immersed in the deep sea at Girgaon Chowpatty in south Mumbai before 9 am after shifting it on a raft, but this year, for the first time, the process was delayed due to the unexpected circumstances, authorities said.

The idol was taken to Girgaon Chowpatty earlier in the day, but it coincided with a strong high tide. The immersion will now take place once the tide recedes and the water reaches a safer level, the news agency reported.

The immersion processions of major public Ganesh mandals, including the famous Lalbaugcha Raja, commenced on Saturday on the occasion of Anant Chaturdashi and continued overnight before reaching the seafront early Sunday, officials said.

Earlier, efforts were made to shift the idol of Lalbaugcha Raja on a specially built raft, and it will then be taken into the deep sea for immersion. Amid chants of "Ganpati Bappa Morya, pudhchya varshi lavkar ya", a fervent wish for the deity’s early return next year, the devotees gave a grand yet cautious farewell to Lord Ganesh in the country's financial capital as they defied rain and a bomb threat to participate in the immersion processions.

More than 21,000 police personnel have been deployed in the city to maintain law and order during the idol immersions. As of 6 am on Sunday, a total of 36,632 idols had been immersed across the city, after the culmination of the last day celebration of the Ganesh festival, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

This included 5,855 Ganpati idols of public mandals, 30,468 idols from households, and 309 idols of Goddess Gauri. "No untoward incident was reported during the immersion process," a civic official said.

Aly Goni Didn’t Chant

Actor and former Bigg Boss contestant Aly Goni has responded to the wave of trolling he faced online after a video from Mumbai’s Ganpati celebrations went viral. The clip showed him standing silently while his girlfriend, actress Jasmine Bhasin, and others chanted “Ganpati Bappa Morya."In a conversation with Filmygyan, Aly clarified that his silence wasn’t meant to disrespect anyone but came from confusion and his desire not to cross religious boundaries.