The 10-day Ganesh festival in Pimpri-Chinchwad area came to a close on Sunday as devotees in large numbers took part in the immersion of idols in rivers Pavana and Indrayani.
The 10-day Ganesh festival in Pimpri-Chinchwad area came to a close on Sunday as devotees in large numbers took part in the immersion of idols in rivers Pavana and Indrayani.
Dancing to the tune of dhol-tasha, the faithful moved to the ghats. The ceremony, which started at 9am, concluded past midnight. Most of the mandals avoided playing with gulal.
Barring the idol immersion by 12 mandals and about 3,100 devotees in the Indrayani, the rest was done in the river Pavana. Many housing societies, women self-help groups and small mandals completed their idol immersion by 6pm.
The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), police department and political parties installed welcome pandals at Veer Chapekar Chowk and Subhashnagar ghat. Only five mandals completed the immersion after midnight.
Pimpri’s Shivajiraje Pratishthan Mandal’s procession was a grand event, symbolising Shivaji Maharaj. The Maratha king’s Mavale, representing the young fighters from the Maval area in Pune who joined Shivaji, entered Shagun Chowk riding horses.
While Shree Lal Bahadur Shastri Mandal presented ‘bal-warkari’, Kailash Mitra Mandal also presented a show of Mavale riding on camel and horses, followed by warkaris with tal and mrudungam in hand.
PCMC additional commissioner Prakash Kadam, assistant commissioner Dilip Gawade and other officials welcomed the mandals. Nearly 45 police personnel were deployed at Shagun Chowk. The civic administration had also installed closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras.
Taking a dig at the poor road conditions, Dnyandeep Mitra Mandal placed an idol on scooter with flexboards, warning about potholes.
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