

The Bombay High Court had Friday refused to lift the ban imposed by the state government on the use of hi-tech sound-amplifying systems such as DJ and Dolby sound during Ganpati immersion and the coming Navratri festival. Nashik police commissioner Ravinderkumar Singhal said the procession was expected to go on till midnight.īesides, devotees in other districts of the state like Solapur, Kolhapur, Aurangabad, Nanded, Jalgaon, Amravati, and Nagpur also bid aideu to their favourite God. It will culminate on the bank of the river Godavari. The immersion procession of over 50 Ganesh mandals began in the morning from Wakadi Barav locality in Nashik. In Nashik city of North Maharashtra, Ganesh mandals decided not to use hi-tech sound amplifying systems and 'gulal' powder (which is sprinkled during the procession) during the immersion. In Pune, the top five Ganesh mandals set out for immersion in the morning. In Mumbai, prime locations for immersion are Girgaum Chowpatty (beach), Juhu, Powai lake and Dadar Chowpatty. Public celebration of Ganesh festival dates back over a century, when it was first encouraged by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in order to promote nationalist sentiment during the colonial rule. The festival, which began on Ganesh Chaturthi on September 13, concludes Sunday on 'Anant Chaturdashi'. In Mumbai, the famous Lalbaughcha Raja Ganpati, which attracts lakhs of devotees during the festival, was among the early starters for immersion at the sea shore in Dadar.

With a view to avoid pollution of natural water bodies, many civic bodies have also set up artificial ponds for immersion. While public Ganesh mandals prefer to take the idols for immersion to sea shores or rivers, families which install smaller idols are increasingly conducting 'viasarjan' at homes in buckets of water.
