The wait is over: Mumbai's Lalbaugcha Raja finally immersed, ending 32-hour procession | WATCH

Mumbai: Mumbai's iconic Lalbaugcha Raja Ganpati idol was immersed in the Arabian Sea around 9:15 pm on Sunday, more than 12 hours after it arrived at Girgaon Chowpatty, the designated immersion point. The delay in immersion, typically completed by 9 am, was caused by a high tide of 4.42 meters and technical difficulties.

Amid chants, drum beats, and firecrackers, a specially built raft carrying the idol, escorted by fishermen’s boats and police, set off for the immersion. The water level rose between 7 pm and 8 pm, allowing the raft to float and move into the deep sea for the final visarjan.

The procession began from Lalbaug at 12:30 pm on Saturday, lasting over 32 hours before reaching the sea. Several failed attempts were made to move the idol onto the raft earlier in the day due to instability caused by the tide rising to the idol’s waist. Volunteers and fishermen struggled for about three hours to keep the idol balanced in shallow waters.

The successful transfer onto the raft at 4:45 pm, assisted by hundreds of volunteers, was met with cheers and devotional chants. The immersion is an unmissable event annually, drawing thousands of devotees who wait from past midnight to witness the idol’s final journey after travelling through Mumbai’s crowded streets.

With inputs from PTI