Large number of Ganesha pujan samiti immersed the idol of lord Ganesha on Friday
Prayagraj: Chants of ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ echoed across Sangam city on Friday as hundreds of devotees braved rain to bid an emotional farewell to Lord Ganesh after 10 days of worship. Despite the adverse weather, processions carrying idols from homes and puja samitis made their way to the pond at Andhawa, where around 300 idols, big and small, were immersed amid prayers and devotional chants.
Dr Sandeep Singh, an eminent dentist of the city and a strong advocate of environmental protection, said, “Thank God for the good sense being followed in Prayagraj as more and more people are now keeping idols made of clay and not POP as this small step can help protect our water bodies, particularly because several idols are made of POP and use colours that may contain heavy metals.” The immersion marked the culmination of Ganesh Puja celebrations in the city. Roads leading towards Andhawa witnessed groups of devotees singing and dancing as they carried the idols for the final ritual. Youngsters as well as elderly members of families joined the processions, with many dancing to popular songs and applying gulal to one another. Before leaving for immersion, devotees offered mahabhog to the deity and distributed prasad among family members and others. Several puja samitis in the city had organised Ganesh Puja this year following the tradition popular in Maharashtra and other parts of the country. Devotees also immersed the idols in Yamuna and Ganga, although those immersed in the twin rivers were smaller in size as the large idols were immersed at the pond in Andhawa.
Stay updated with the latest Prayagraj news. The immersion processions, meanwhile, unfolded against an unusual weather backdrop. The weather remained almost the same as Thursday, when the impact of the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, named Arnab, resulted in overcast conditions, rain and cool winds in the city. Cool and windy conditions persisted through much of the day, forcing devotees to negotiate rain and gusty winds while carrying out the immersion rituals. Download the TOI App.