VALPOI
The five-day Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Sattari taluka concluded on Friday with emotional farewell processions, devotional chants and traditional rituals, although a nearly 15-day dry spell created difficulties at several immersion points due to low water levels.
As devotees immersed idols amid chants of “Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudchya Varshi Lavkar Ya,” the festive spirit remained undiminished despite the challenges posed by dwindling rivers, streams and other natural water sources.
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with great enthusiasm across Sattari, with households observing morning and evening aartis, bhajans and religious programmes from the day of idol installation. On the fifth day, families performed traditional farewell rituals before taking the idols for immersion in processions accompanied by drums, traditional musical instruments and devotional songs.
Bhajan programmes, collective aartis and fugdi performances continued late into Friday night at temples and community venues, with women, men and children participating enthusiastically.
The prolonged break in rainfall, however, emerged as the biggest challenge during this year’s immersion. Water levels in several rivers and streams had dropped considerably, while some smaller watercourses were close to drying up, forcing devotees in several villages to verify water availability before proceeding to traditional immersion sites.
In some places, alternative arrangements were made to ensure that immersion rituals could continue without disruption.
Barrage systems proved crucial in easing the situation. At several locations, barrage plates that had been removed during the monsoon to facilitate the natural flow of water were reinstalled to retain water for immersion purposes. The impounded water enabled devotees to carry out immersions where river flow had become inadequate.
Immersion tanks also emerged as a practical alternative. Several villages already have dedicated tanks for Ganesh immersion, allowing families to avoid transporting idols over long distances to rivers and streams. With natural water bodies recording lower levels this year, these facilities proved particularly useful.
Despite the water shortage, large numbers of devotees gathered at immersion points to bid farewell to Lord Ganesha. Youths participated enthusiastically in the processions, while women kept traditional customs alive through fugdi performances and aartis. Children, too, joined the celebrations, reflecting the festival’s strong community spirit.
