A 65-year-old Ganesh mandal near CP Tank in south Mumbai will retain and reuse its 40-foot fibre idol instead of immersing it after this year’s festival, introducing a large-scale alternative to the annual disposal of festival structures. The Sutargalli 1 mandal will conduct a symbolic visarjan with milk at Girgaum Chowpatty on Anant Chaturdashi, while immersing only its smaller puja idol.
The decision follows changes in immersion guidelines and comes shortly after the collapse of the Bhuleshwar Cha Raja idol on August 22, an incident in which two people were killed, according to the report. The Sutargalli mandal’s move separates the ritual procession and farewell ceremony from the permanent disposal of its principal idol.
General secretary Ajay Jadhav said the mandal had traditionally used plaster of Paris idols but made a fibre idol in 2025. The structure has been designed to be dismantled, folded and transported for storage before being reassembled for the next Ganeshotsav.
After the festival, the idol will be taken to the Karjat farmhouse of mandal president Sudarshan Sangle, who is also a trustee of Siddhivinayak temple. It will be brought back about a month before the following year’s festival and assembled again, according to Jadhav.
The mandal will continue its customary public procession to Girgaum Chowpatty. Members will travel with traditional instruments, perform the symbolic ritual and then bring the idol back in a similar procession. Only the puja moorti will be immersed at the seafront.
Jadhav said the mandal had previously immersed a 40-foot plaster of Paris idol weighing about five tonnes by placing it on a float in the sea. This year, the mandal’s 500 workers unanimously agreed to adopt the reusable fibre structure instead.
The decision also reflects the financial scale of large public festival installations. Jadhav said the mandal spends about Rs 15 lakh on the idol and argued that a float costing approximately Rs 15,000 could be arranged to provide a formal farewell without immersing the main structure.
The Sutargalli mandal’s arrangement retains the procession, music and symbolic ritual while changing what happens to the main idol after the festival. Its next stated milestone is the symbolic immersion at Girgaum Chowpatty on Anant Chaturdashi, followed by the idol’s return to storage in Karjat.
