Devotees gathering on the shore of the Arabian Sea before the immersion of the images of Hindu god Ganesh on the last day of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, in Mumbai, India recently — Reuters MUMBAI, Sept 25 (Reuters): At least 18 people have died, mostly due to drowning, while immersing the idols of Hindu god Ganesh after the end of the 30-hour ceremony in India.
The incidents took place on Monday in parts of Maharashtra on the last day of the Ganesh festival, officials said.
Sunday was 'Anant Chaturdashi' - or the final day of the 11-day festival which started on 'Ganesh Chaturthi' on Sep 13 and which witnessed the maximum number of gigantic idols worshipped at 'sarvajanik mandals', reports NDTV.
Thousands of idols were taken out in processions with devotees dancing and raising cries. The idols were lowered into the Arabian Sea, creeks, rivers, lakes, ponds, wells, artificial tanks and other water bodies.
In the past 24 hours, one person drowned in Bhandup, eastern Mumbai, while four deaths were reported from Pune, three each in Ratnagiri and Jalna, two each in Bhandara and Satara and one each in Nanded, Buldhana and Ahmednagar, according to the report.
In a freak incident, at least five persons including three girls were rescued when they fell in the sea water at Girgaum Chowpatty on Monday morning when their overloaded boat overturned during the immersion ceremony.
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