With the curtains down on the Chathurthi celebrations, Vinayaka idols of various hues and shapes were taken out in a procession and immersed on the sea here on Tuesday. The procession passed off peacefully without any untoward incident.
The festivities were held on a grand scale this year compared to the the previous years. The convoy of more than 100 idols installed by different communities and outfits including the Hindu Munnani across the town, began at 2.00 p.m.
The long procession, which began on the Kamaraj Salai, proceeded through Jawaharlal Nehru Street, Mahatma Gandhi Street and Sardar Vallabhai Patel Salai before reaching the beach. The idols were carried on bullock carts and trucks. A crane was deployed to lift the huge idols and immerse them in the sea.
Huge crowds had gathered at the beach, singing bhajans and dancing to the music. For the first time, percussion instruments were played and artists were seen dancing to the beats of the famous Nashik dhols from Maharashtra.
The police had made elaborate security arrangements with hundreds of policemen deployed along the procession route. Traffic was diverted on the route.
As per the advisory of the Pollution Control Board, artisans had been instructed to make only eco-friendly idols. The organisers were allowed to take the idols through the northern end of the beach to the old pier where they were immersed.
