Mumbai bids grand farewell to 'Ganpati Bappa' amid rains, bomb threat; over 2,100 idols immersed
Mumbai (PTI): Rains and a bomb threat failed to dampen the spirit of devotees of Lord Ganesh in Mumbai as they gathered in large numbers to bid adieu to their beloved deity amid the beating of 'dhol-tasha' and clouds of 'gulal' rising in the air as the 10-day Ganpati festival drew to a close on Saturday.
Till 3 pm, more than 2,100 Ganpati idols were immersed in various water bodies in Mumbai, officials said.
Scores of people were seen sitting on road dividers, terraces of buildings, balconies, trees, and poles to catch a glimpse of the grand finale as the idols made their way to the city's beaches and other water bodies amid chants of 'Ganpati Bappa Morya, pudhachya varshi lavkar ya' - a fervent wish for the god's early return next year.
Earlier in the day, 'rangolis' were drawn on roads, even as parts of the city witnessed light to moderate showers since morning.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), 2,198 Ganapati idols, including 59 of 'Sarvajanik mandals' (local community groups) and 87 of Goddess idols immersed in natural water bodies and artificial ponds created by the civic body by 3 pm.
At Lalbaug in central Mumbai, famous for its iconic Ganapati mandals, the processions began with idols of Tejukaya, Ganesh Gully, and several other mandals.
Thousands gathered along the streets of Lalbaug and other major procession routes to bid farewell to their favourite deity, with prayers on their lips and to witness the vibrant spectacle filled with music, dance, and clouds of celebratory 'gulal' (vermillion powder).
"No untoward incident reported during the immersion process," a BMC official said.
Processions of the famous Ganpatis from Lalbaug, including Lalbaugcha Raja, Chinchpoklicha Chintamani, Ballaleshwar of Bal Ganesh Mandal, Mumbaicha Raja of Ganesh Galli, Mahaganapati of Kalachowki, Rangari Badak Chawl Ganapati, and Tejukaya Ganapati, had reached the main road by 1 pm.
Crowds assembled at Shroff Building in Lalbaug, from where the traditional "pushpa vrishti" (flower shower) was performed on the Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh idol around 5.30 pm with a model of a Rafale aircraft pulled using a rope contraption. The procession of this iconic Ganesh mandal is likely to reach the Girgaon Chowpatty shore on Sunday morning.
The procession passes through Byculla, Nagpada, Don Taki and Goldevool areas before reaching the immersion point.
The Seva Sadan Mandal used an icon of "Abhijat Marathi" for its procession, as Marathi has been declared a classical language this year.
The procession of the Rangari Badak Chawl was the first to receive 'Pushpavrishti' at Shroff Building, followed by the Cotton Green cha Raja Ganesh idol.
Major processions from Lalbaug, Parel, Kalachowki, and other areas of central Mumbai began moving towards the seafronts after 1.30 pm.
More than 21,000 police personnel have been deployed in the city to maintain law and order during the idol immersions.
The city police were on alert after receiving a threat message claiming 14 terrorists had entered the city with 400 kilograms of RDX that had been planted in 34 vehicles, an official said.
The threat message was received on the traffic police's WhatsApp helpline on Thursday while the metropolitan force was making security arrangements for Anant Chaturdashi, the last day of the Ganesh festival.
The police later arrested a 50-year-old man from Noida in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly sending the threat message.
The crime branch apprehended the accused, Ashwinikumar Supra, from his residence in Noida within 24 hours of receiving the threat message, the official said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
41 lakh illicit liquor seized, 1.84 lakh arrested in major drive: K'taka Minister tells Assembly
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Karnataka Excise Department has conducted a statewide crackdown on illegal liquor trade over the last two years, resulting in arrests and seizures of alcohol, Karnataka Excise Minister R B Timmapur said on Tuesday.
As many as 1,09,017 people were arrested, and seizures included 13.66 lakh litres of liquor and 27.19 lakh litres of beer, he said in a written reply to a starred question by Harihar BJP MLA B P Harish in the Karnataka Assembly.
The Minister said the enforcement drive covered the financial year 2023–24, 2024–25 up to June, and 2025–26 from July to October, targeting unauthorised liquor manufacture, storage, sale and transportation across the State.
"During this period, statewide enforcement drives resulted in a total of 1,84,570 raids against illegal liquor sales,” Timmapur said.
ALSO READ: BJP accuses Karnataka govt of 'failing' to prevent noise pollution caused by 'azaan'
He noted that 9,179 non-bailable cases and 91,968 bailable and compoundable cases under Section 15(A) of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, were registered during the same period.
According to him, there have been no reports indicating that students have become addicted to alcohol due to illegal liquor sales.
The sale of alcohol to minors is strictly prohibited under the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, and the department has issued periodic instructions to initiate legal action against violators, with strict enforcement and investigation measures in place, the Minister said.
Excise officials are carrying out regular road and night patrols, collecting intelligence, monitoring habitual offenders and conducting raids to identify illicit distillation units, unauthorised liquor outlets and spurious liquor manufacturing centres, he said, adding the department is also enforcing the law to prevent the production, storage, sale and transport of spurious, non-duty-paid and unauthorised liquor.
Regular patrols are being conducted on national and state highways, with suspicious vehicles being subjected to checks.
At the district level, standing committee meetings are held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, and joint operations are carried out with the police and forest departments to curb excise-related offences.
The department is also conducting awareness programmes through Gram Sabhas and in schools and colleges to educate the public and students about the physical, mental and social health hazards associated with alcohol addiction and substance abuse, Timmapur added.
