Processions for the immersion of Lord Ganesh idols began in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra on Tuesday morning amid tight security and fanfare as the 10-day festival drew to a close

The 'Ganesh Chaturthi' festival, which began on September 7, is concluding with 'Anant Chaturdashi' on Tuesday

Processions from various parts of Mumbai, including Fort, Mazgaon, Byculla, Dadar, and Chembur, will make their way towards the Arabian Sea and other water bodies for the final immersion, marking the end of this year's festivities

Devotees thronged the streets, especially on the main road leading to the Girgaon beach, in large numbers as they are eager to catch a final glimpse of the elaborately adorned idols of the elephant-headed god when they are taken out of pandals for their journey to immersion sites

More than 24,000 police personnel have been deployed in Mumbai to thwart any untoward incident during processions, officials said

Thousands of household and 'sarvajanik' (public) Ganesh idols will be immersed at 204 artificial ponds across the city, along with 69 natural water bodies like Girgaon, Dadar, Juhu, Marve and Aksa beaches

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said it has deployed more than 12,000 officials and staffers, and set up 71 control rooms to manage the processions. It has posted 761 lifeguards and deployed 48 speed boats at the city beaches as a safety measure and the citizens have been advised to avoid entering the deep sea