Mumbai : Amidst tight security, Mumbaikars today bid adieu to Lord Ganesh with great pomp, as the elephant-headed God left for his watery abode, bringing the 11-day festivity to an end.

Before noon, the large Ganesh idols in south Mumbai, including the famous ‘Lalbaugcha Raja’ as well as those from Girgaum and Ganesh Galli areas began heading towards the Girgaum Chowpaty for the immersion.

The processions all over Mumbai began with devotees chanting ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya’. People, mainly youths, were seen dancing to the tune of traditional instruments of dhol-tasha.

Sprinkling of vermilion added colour to the festive occasion. Water fronts in Dadar, Shivaji Park, Juhu, Versova, Gorai also saw a huge turnout of people, who gathered to witness the immersion procession.

According to sources, 98 Ganesh idols of sarvajanik Ganesh mandals and 3,612 household idols were immersed by 3 pm, in the sea, ponds as well as in the make-shift tanks. The city police have stepped up security and are on a high alert after last week’s Delhi blast.

A tight vigil was maintained during the procession. Use of two-wheelers in crowded areas has been prohibited. CCTV cameras also kept a hawk’s eye on the crowd during the immersion procession in different parts of the city.

Similar processions were witnessed in other parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat’s Surat city, where hundreds of vibrant processions meandered through crowded streets.

The festival is celebrated with great zest across India, particularly in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa, and parts of Gujarat.

Ganesh immersion turns tragic, 1 killed

MUMBAI: One person was killed and at least three were injured as a ledge-like structure on which several viewers were standing, collapsed during the Ganesh immersion procession in Central Mumbai today.

The procession of the famous Lalbagcha Raja Ganesh was underway, with viewers crowding the roadsides, when the mishap took place near Bharatmata Theatre, police said.

Excessive load must have caused the collapse, they said. While one person died, the injured have been taken to government-run KEM Hospital, said the civic authorities. Many more are feared to have been injured.

Immersion processions have started around the city since morning, today being the last day of Ganesh festival.