Karnataka - Belgaum   

It was a grand finale to Ganesh festivities

farewell: An idol of Lord Ganesh being immersed in the Kapeeleshwar Temple well in Belgaum on Tuesday.

Belgaum: Ganesha festivities culminated in a colourful ceremony with more than 250 “Ganapathi Chariots” being taken out in an immersion procession here on Tuesday.

In the absence of Minister for Horticulture and district in-charge Shashikant A. Naik; Inspector General of Police North Western Range Raghavendra Auradkar inaugurated the procession by performing the ceremonial pooja for Lord Ganesha at Hutatma Chowk at 4.30 p.m.

However, the turnout was lesser than expected owing to the civic polls.

The candidates and their supporters were busy campaigning. Though there was some respite from the continuous drizzle, cloudy weather forced people to remain indoors and watch the proceedings live on television. The immersion procession marked the grand finale of the 11-day festivities. This year, there were about 400 public “Ganesha Mandals” spread across 58 wards under the Belgaum City Corporation limits. About 150 of them observed the festivities for three days, while the rest joined the mega event organised by Shree Ganesha Utsav Samithi.

Idols were immersed at Kapeeleshwar well in Kapeeleshwar temple and other open wells in Shivaji garden in Shahpur, near Maratha Mandal and Shivaji Nagar. Since the fort lake has been included under the National Lake Development Project, immersions were not allowed there this year.

The police had made elaborate security arrangements along the route of the procession and in communally sensitive areas.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

BCC polls: all eyes on ward No. 15
It was a grand finale to Ganesh festivities
Forgotten already

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu