Nagpur: With hearts full of devotion and eyes already set on next year’s homecoming, Nagpur bid an emotional farewell to Lord Ganesha on Anant Chaturdashi, bringing the 12-day Ganesh festival to a vibrant close. Thousands of devotees took to the streets for immersion processions, turning the city into a sea of music, dance, devotion and colours.The monsoon showers that continued throughout the day did little to dampen the enthusiasm, with devotees dancing through the rain as they bid adieu to Bappa.The rhythmic beats of dhol-tasha were joined by sandal, banjo and brass bands at several processions. Revellers danced along the routes, showered gulal and raised chants of “Ganpati Bappa Morya”, creating a festive atmosphere across the city.Before their departure, devotees offered traditional food items such as modaks and laddoos to Bappa, symbolically sending the deity off with provisions for the journey. The customary call of “Pudchya varshi lavkar ya” (come back soon next year) echoed through the streets.The immersion procession of Tulshibag Ganpati, popularly known as ‘Nagpurcha Raja’, commenced on Friday morning. Processions of several other prominent public mandals began later in the day and continued into the night.Several prominent Mahal mandals held their grand immersion processions on Saturday evening. The 107-year-old Dakshinamurti Swayamsevak Ganeshotsav Mandal, Santicha Ganpati, Mahalcha Raja and Mannatpoorti Ganesh jointly organised a combined immersion procession this year.For many devotees, however, visarjan was as much about emotion as celebration. Families and mandals bid farewell to idols that had been at the centre of their homes and neighbourhoods for the last 12 days. Devotees offered prayers before the idols were taken for immersion, seeking blessings for peace, prosperity, happiness and well-being.Immersion activities began early in the morning, with families following their own traditions. “While we used to perform the immersion puja at the lakeside earlier, now we do it in a bucket, and later use the clay in our garden,” said Shailaja Dighe, a resident of Trimurti Nagar.With schools and colleges closed for the day, children and youngsters participated in large numbers. “The rain added to our enthusiasm, as we youngsters continued to dance and celebrate despite being drenched,” said Kushal Chinchkhede, a devotee taking part in Mahalcha Raja Ganpati’s immersion procession.The farewell also marked the end of days of elaborate celebrations across the city. Nagpur’s Ganesh mandals had transformed neighbourhoods with grand pandals, elaborate decorations and themes ranging from mythology and folklore to cinema and popular culture. Long queues for darshan had become a familiar sight during the festival.For devotees, the farewell was not the end, but a temporary separation from a beloved presence. The lights will eventually come down, pandals will disappear and the drums will fall silent, but the emotion behind the farewell will linger.
