Ganesh immersion process takes 42 hours in Belagavi

Devotees carrying Ganesha idols for immersion in Belagavi on Sunday (September 27). | Photo credit: PK BADIGER

The Ganesha Visarjan procession in Belagavi ended around noon on Sunday (September 27) after nearly 42 hours. It was one of the city’s longest immersion parades in history, organizers claimed.

The public procession of Ganesha idols started on the evening of September 25 after the usual puja and aarti at Hutatma Chowk. The first dive began around 3:30 p.m. that day. The latest idol to be immersed was the Belagavi City Corporation Ganesha, which was immersed on Sunday afternoon.

Police estimated that 1,056 public Ganesha mandals have installed idols across the city. Most took part in the 11-day celebrations. Some immersed themselves on Ashtami on the fifth day. But others did so on Anantha Chaturdashi after 11 days. A large number of devotees from Belagavi and surrounding areas gathered along the procession route. Large crowds gathered along the route as the idols reached Dharmaveer Sambhaji Circle and other prominent points. The youth danced to DJ music while traditional performances by Dhol-Tasha, Dhvaja Pathak, Dollu and Kolata added to the atmosphere.

Idols from Chavhat Hall, Khadak Hall, Bandhur Hall, Ganachari Hall and Rajahamsa Hall, Anagol joined the procession later. The procession finally concluded with the immersion of the Ganesha idol of Belagavi City Corporation at Kapileshwar.

Over 4,000 police officers were deployed for security and traffic management. Government officers, including fire and emergency personnel, civic personnel, Hescom employees, rescue teams, lifeguards, earth-moving machine operators and others, remained deployed for long hours for almost three days. During the preparatory meetings, Prakash Nikam, the police commissioner, appealed to the Ganesha mandals to limit the procession to about 24 hours, but this was not achieved. Vikas Kalaghatagi, president of Ganesha Maha Mandal, demanded more immersion ponds in different parts of the city.

The procession ended peacefully without any major unpleasant incidents, except for the accidental drowning of a young man.

Although the city has four immersion ponds, the two immersion ponds near the Kapileshwar temple are the main sites for the ritual. The capacity of these pools and the time required for each dip resulted in long queues. This has snarled traffic near the temple, the old national road and the old city markets behind the bus stand.

Bright side

Mr. Nikam thanked the people of Belagavi for their cooperation and appreciated the efforts of police personnel and other agencies who worked round the clock in the procession. He pointed to the height of some of the idols and the time required to move and immerse them as factors contributing to the delay. The commissioner congratulated several mandalas for their reduced DJ sound levels and avoidance of plasma and laser lighting this year.

City Corporation Commissioner Karthik M. also thanked the people, city staff and police.

Published – 27 Sep 2026 21:26 IST