Belagavi Ganesha Immersion Procession Sets New Record, Continues for 42 Hours

Belagavi: Belagavi’s iconic Ganesha idol immersion procession concluded around 10 am on Sunday after running for nearly 42 hours, setting a new record for the city and surpassing last year’s 36-hour duration.
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The grand procession, one of the largest Ganesha immersion events in Karnataka, began with traditional rituals at Hutatma Chowk on Friday evening. It concluded only on Sunday morning after hundreds of public Ganesha idols were immersed at the old and new Kapileshwar immersion ponds.

Around 380 public Ganesha mandals took part in the procession, attracting lakhs of devotees and visitors from Belagavi and neighbouring areas.

Large Number of Idols Causes Delays

Despite efforts by police and civic authorities to reduce the duration of the procession, the movement of idols was slowed by the large number of participating mandals. Idols arrived from various parts of the city and surrounding localities, including Vijayanagara, Hindalga, Ganeshpur and Piranwadi.

The immersion process itself contributed to the delay. Workers were required to remove metal frames from several large idols before they could be immersed. Each idol reportedly took around 15 to 20 minutes to complete the immersion process.

By 10 pm on Saturday, nearly 170 idols had been immersed, while dozens of others were still waiting in the queue. The backlog pushed the procession into the early hours of Sunday.

Calls for Bigger Immersion Facilities

The record-long procession has renewed demands from several Ganesha mandals and devotees for better immersion infrastructure.

Organisers and devotees have called for larger immersion ponds, additional cranes and improved facilities to handle the increasing number and size of Ganesha idols in the coming years.

With the scale of Belagavi’s Ganeshotsav growing each year, better planning and expanded immersion capacity are expected to be key issues ahead of next year’s celebrations.

Traffic Disruptions Across Belagavi

The prolonged procession also resulted in significant traffic disruptions across the city.

Barricades and traffic diversions remained in place on several major roads for more than a day. Severe congestion was reported at key junctions and arterial roads, forcing motorists to take alternative routes.

Traffic movement remained slow in several parts of the city as the procession continued towards the immersion points.

Heavy Security Deployment

Despite the logistical challenges and traffic disruptions, the immersion procession remained largely peaceful, with extensive security arrangements in place.

City Police Commissioner Prakash Nikam, DCP (Law and Order) Narayan Baramani and other senior police officers continuously monitored the proceedings.

Thousands of personnel, including members of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP), Rapid Action Force (RAF) and home guards, were deployed along the procession route and at immersion locations.

Cranes, swimming teams and emergency response personnel were also stationed at the immersion ponds as part of the safety arrangements.

The completion of the nearly 42-hour procession has once again highlighted the enormous scale of Belagavi’s Ganeshotsav. With participation and idol sizes increasing each year, demands for expanded immersion facilities, improved traffic management and better logistical planning are likely to gain further attention before next year’s festival.

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