Date:08/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/08/stories/2008090859450300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Durga ghat abuzz with activity

Staff Reporter

Over 150 idols immersed on the fifth day of Ganesh festivities

Swimmers and motorboats kept ready to meet any exigency
Idols are being brought by different vehicles amidst much fanfare

PHOTO: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR

Before the plunge: A Ganesh idol being immersed in the Krishna at Durga ghat in Vijayawada on Sunday. —

VIJAYAWADA: Amidst shouting of slogans like ‘Ganapatibappa moria..’ and sprinkling of ‘gulal’ on each other, organisers of Vinayaka Chavithi pandals took Ganesh idols in a procession to the Krishna for immersion on the fifth day of the nine-day festivities on Sunday.

The procession began in the afternoon from different parts of the city and continued to culminate at Durga ghat till late in the night.

Ganesh idols of different size were carried to the ghat by different modes of transport.

While some organisers carried the idols in well-decorated lorries, a few others selected tippers and auto-trolleys as their mode of transportation. There were a few devotees who carried the idols on their heads with reverence.

Orchestra

After performing puja in the pandals on a grand scale for five days, many organisers organised the procession too on a grand scale by arranging orchestras and singing troupes.

With ‘prasadam’ being distributed to devotees through the way, the processions continued till Canal road, where the vehicles were stopped in a queue.

Elaborate security was arranged at the ghat and on Canal road, with Police Commissioner K.V. Rajendranath Reddy, accompanied by two Assistant Commissioners of Police and other staff, monitoring the entire process. Swimmers were on duty at the ghat and motorboats were arranged to meet any exigency.

As the process of immersion began well after noon, the police were keen on completing the process within a short time. They did not allow the organisers to spend some time at the ghat after the immersion.

Scores of youths who came to have some fun in the river were sent out to pave the way for the others who were in queue.

Immersion of about 250 idols was completed by 8 p.m. and the police expected another 150 idols to be immersed by the end of the day. “The immersion is going on smoothly and the organisers are cooperating with us. To avoid confusion and make better arrangements, we have decided to allow immersion only at Durga ghat this year,” said M. Sriramachandra Murthy, ACP (Central Zone).