Murtikars and Ganesh mandal organisers in Mumbai’s Girgaon and Lalbaug have asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to allow the controlled sea immersion of small, eco-friendly Ganpati idols, opposing the mandatory use of artificial ponds for idols below six feet ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi on September 14.
The demand comes after the civic body said idols below six feet would have to be immersed in artificial ponds in accordance with court directions currently applicable during the festival period. The BMC has arranged artificial immersion ponds at designated locations across Mumbai and urged devotees and mandals to use them.
Traditional idol makers and organisers said the restriction does not distinguish between small household or community idols and large public idols. Pradeep Maduskar, a 73-year-old murtikar from Girgaon, said most household and smaller mandal idols are below six feet and made from shadu clay. He argued that regulation of idol materials and colours would address pollution concerns without preventing sea immersion altogether.
Maduskar said devotees in Girgaon had taken idols to the sea for generations and that a controlled system could preserve the ritual while addressing environmental concerns. Organisers suggested that the BMC identify specific beach stretches, assign immersion timings and deploy staff to supervise the process.
Adhvait Pedhamkar, joint secretary of the Lalbaug Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal, said a two- or three-foot idol involved different logistics and environmental considerations from a 15- or 20-foot public idol. He also said artificial ponds could face queues, traffic pressure and limited space during the main immersion days, when thousands of devotees are expected to carry idols.
Abhishek Tondankar, treasurer of the 5th Kumbharwada Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal in Girgaon, said sea immersion was an emotional and cultural part of Mumbai’s Ganeshotsav. He said mandals were not seeking unrestricted immersion, but an additional option for idols made from shadu clay and other eco-friendly materials at designated locations under supervision.
A BMC official, who did not wish to be named, said the arrangements had been planned to address environmental concerns and the large number of devotees expected during the festival. The official urged devotees and mandals to cooperate with the civic authorities and use designated artificial immersion facilities.
The disagreement places the city’s festival-management system between two requirements: enforcing restrictions intended to protect water bodies and managing a long-established public ritual across dense neighbourhoods such as Girgaon and Lalbaug. The civic administration’s current position is that idols below six feet must be immersed in artificial ponds, while the local organisers’ request is for a supervised sea-immersion option for smaller idols that meet environmental conditions.
