16 September,2026 12:38 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a total of 61,640 idols were immersed till 6 am on Wednesday. Pic/PTI
More than 61,600 Lord Ganesh idols were immersed across Mumbai after one-and-a-half days of Ganeshotsav 2026, with thousands of households and public festival groups taking part in the first major immersion phase, civic officials said on Wednesday.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a total of 61,640 idols were immersed till 6 am on Wednesday. The figure includes idols brought for immersion by households as well as those installed by public festival groups across the city.
Of the total number of Lord Ganesh idols immersed during the period, 61,247 were household idols, while 301 belonged to public festival groups, according to civic officials.
In addition, 92 Hartalika idols were immersed during the same period. The BMC said no untoward incident was reported during the immersion process.
The large number of immersions marked the first significant dispersal of devotees and festival activity after the installation of Ganesh idols across Mumbai at the beginning of Ganeshotsav 2026.
The BMC had arranged immersion facilities at designated locations across the city, including artificial ponds, to accommodate devotees and manage the movement of people during the immersion period.
Immersion points were prepared at various locations to handle the large number of idols brought by devotees. The civic administration also made arrangements to manage the crowds and facilitate the movement of devotees at the designated sites.
The first immersion day is one of several key immersion dates observed during Ganeshotsav. Depending on family and community traditions, Ganesh idols are immersed after one-and-a-half days, as well as on the fifth, seventh and final day of the festival.
The one-and-a-half-day immersion on Wednesday came as Mumbai continued its annual celebrations, with residential neighbourhoods, public festival groups and community spaces witnessing gatherings of devotees.
Ganeshotsav 2026 will continue across Mumbai over the coming days, with larger immersion processions expected on the fifth, seventh and final days of the festival.
The festival will conclude on Anant Chaturdashi on September 25. The final day is expected to see large numbers of devotees take their Ganesh idols to designated immersion points, accompanied by processions and public celebrations.
The BMC is expected to continue its immersion-related arrangements throughout the festival, particularly at locations that traditionally witness large crowds.
For many households, the immersion marks the conclusion of their short-duration Ganesh celebrations, while public festival groups and other devotees will continue preparations for subsequent immersion days.
With the festival extending through September 25, Mumbai is expected to remain active with Ganeshotsav-related gatherings, cultural programmes and immersion activities across the city. The civic authorities will continue to coordinate arrangements at immersion sites as the festival moves towards its final day.
