Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 15 (ANI): The auction of the gold and silver offered by devotees to Lalbaugcha Raja will be conducted this evening.

Mumbai Sep 20 PTI Nearly 165 lakh idols of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Gauri were immersed in water bodies across Mumbai during the 10-day-long Ganpati festival held under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic for the second straight year the civic body said on Monday The bodies of two of the three youngsters swept away in sea waters at the Versova jetty during Ganesh idol immersion on Sunday night were recovered on Monday civic officials said The deceased aged 18 and 20 years they said A total of five youngsters had entered the sea at the Versova jetty on Sunday night for immersing an idol While two of them were rescued by local people three others were missing they had said As many as 164761 idols - 158229 of Lord Ganesh and 6532 of Goddess Gauri - were immersed at 73 natural and 137 artificial water bodies during the festival that began on September 10 and concluded on September 19 said a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC release These idols included those installed by sarvajanik public mandals and devotees at their homes A total of 34452 idols of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Gauri were immersed in water bodies across Mumbai on the last day of the festival Of the total idols 79129 were immersed in artificial lakes and the remaining 856321 in natural water bodies said the civic body As many as 75687 of the 79129 idols immersed in artificial lakes were those installed at homes by devotees across the metropolis it said The civic body informed that the highest number of 66299 idols were immersed on the fifth day of the festival According to the BMC it collected 265279 kg of Nirmalya or offerings to God between September 10 and 19 and the same is being processed scientifically at 38 locations across the city Flowers and garlands from Nirmalya are used for making organic compost that is used at BMC-run gardens The famed idol of the Lalbaug Cha Raja Ganesh mandal in the metropolis was immersed at Girgaon Chowpatty by around 3 pm on Sunday an official earlier said The BMC had deployed 715 lifeguards at various natural and artificial immersion sites to prevent drowning he said The festival was celebrated in a low key manner for the second year in a row in the wake of the pandemic Earlier more than 41000 idols were immersed in various water bodies in the city on the second day of the festival and 15000 on the seventh day The BMC had capped the height of household Ganesh idols to two feet and those of mandals to four feet and also urged devotees to offer prayers online instead of going to pandals marquees in view of the pandemic PTI KK NSK GK RSY RSY

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 7 (ANI): Stating that the third wave of COVID-19 is "already here," Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Tuesday urged Mumbaikars to follow 'Mera Ghar, Mera Bappa' (My house, My lord Ganesha) and celebrate the festival at home.