MUMBAI: On Saturday, after a long wait of 177 days, the last three Maghi Ganpati idols awaiting immersion from February finally proceeded to their destination after the Bombay high court’s direction on July 31. In an amendment of its earlier order disallowing the immersion of environmentally damaging Plaster of Paris idols in natural water bodies, the court has now lifted this ban till March 2026.
During the wait, the nine-feet-tall ‘Charkop cha Raja’ was parked in an under-construction building where members of the organisation would pray to it every day. The 18-feet Carter Road at Borivali East was parked inside a pandal and the 10-feet Kandivali cha Shree was put in the idol maker’s workshop. “This is the first time in history that an idol was not immersed on the day it was slated to, so these were unusual circumstances for us but we sailed through them,” said Shubhada Gudekar, who runs the Charkop cha Raja Utsav Mandal trust.
Because of the long wait, the processions attracted a huge crowd. The procession was taken out at noon, with drums and traditional dhol pathak groups. “Every year, this Ganpati goes through all the 19 inroads of Charkop before getting immersed. This year, we will only take him through the main road,” said Nikhil Gudekar, chairman of the trust.
Several Ganesh pandals were set up in the month of Magha as per the Hindu calendar, and their immersion was due to take place on February 2. However, they were halted by the BMC’s enforcement of the interim Bombay high court order, which stated that Plaster of Paris idols could not be immersed in natural water bodies. The BMC had prepared artificial ponds for the immersion but the organisers dug their heels in.
Thanks to this, for the first time, the city will see two Ganpati processions in one month, as the Ganesh idols for Ganesh Chaturthi that takes place in the month of Bhadrapad as per the Hindu calendar is set to begin in three weeks.
The immersion of Charkop cha Raja, which among Maghi Ganpatis has a stature equivalent to Lalbaug cha Raja in the regular Ganeshotsav, took place on Saturday evening along with two others. “This year, we were unaware of the enforcement of these rules,” said Naresh Dahibavkar, president of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti. “The high court has stayed its order till next year so we will prepare accordingly. The idol makers have already started fashioning clay idols. The next court hearing is scheduled in September.”