Glitzy Ganesh idol immersions leave behind chaos

The city’s Vinayaka Chavithi festivities culminated over the weekend in a mix of colour and chaos, as hundreds of devotees carried idols to the coast for immersion while clean-up crews grappled with the aftermath by Sunday morning.

Processions through the night featured tableaux of mythological figures, folk dance troupes and drummers, drawing large crowds on the streets leading to RK Beach and other immersion places. Families, many with children in tow, gathered at the shore to bid farewell to their idols amid chants and applause, underlining the festival’s continuing pull on the city’s public life.