Mumbai: After a 28-hour journey, the immersion of Mumbai’s most beloved Ganesh idol, Lalbaugcha Raja, finally concluded late on Sunday night following repeated efforts by organisers, civic officials and local fishermen to overcome the challenges posed by the sea.
The grand procession began from the Lalbaug pandal on Saturday afternoon and, as per tradition, was expected to reach Girgaon Chowpatty by early Sunday morning. The idol arrived at the beach between 5 am and 7 am, but what was meant to be a seamless immersion quickly turned into a day-long wait.
The sea turned rough earlier than forecast. A high tide of 4.42 metres hit around 11.40 am, making it impossible to align the idol with the immersion raft. Repeated attempts by the Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal volunteers to move the idol onto the platform failed as the currents lifted the base and destabilised the structure.
Through the morning and afternoon, workers, civic staff and the local fishing community worked together, trying different methods to stabilise the idol. Several times, the crowd at the beachfront cheered as the teams made progress, only for the attempt to be abandoned due to safety risks.
It was only by 4.45 pm that the combined effort of hundreds of volunteers and fishermen finally succeeded. The idol was carefully shifted onto a specially constructed motorised raft, ensuring it was safe for the final journey. Organisers then announced that the immersion would be completed at night, around 11 pm, when the next tide would allow a smoother passage into the sea.
This year’s visarjan turned into one of the longest in recent history, stretching close to 35 hours after the idol first left its pandal. While the Lalbaugcha Raja procession is traditionally long and elaborate, such a prolonged wait for immersion has rarely been witnessed in Mumbai. Many senior devotees said they could not recall a delay of this scale in recent decades.
Yet devotees stood their ground. They chanted, sang and showered flowers throughout the day, proving once again that the faith and patience of Mumbaikars is as immense as the devotion they hold for Lalbaugcha Raja.
