Getting into the spirit: French national Loic Martin with his children at Girgaum Chowpatty. more-in As thousands thronged the streets to bid adieu to Ganesha on Sunday, more than 300 visitors from the U.S., Thailand, Mauritius, France, Turkey, Brazil, Australia and many other countries made their way through the crowd to witness the immersion procession. The tourists were guests of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), which had organised a viewing deck for them at Girgaum Chowpatty. As 10 CCTV cameras, five watch towers and 1,400 municipal personnel safeguarded them, the visitors were enamoured with the spectacle of the procession. Pinar Kaya, a 27-year-old woman from Turkey, said, “I love the culture, the colours and the music. The enthusiasm is contagious.” Also revelling in the festive mood were French nationals Stephan and Loic Martin. Both were accompanied by their children, each 10 years old, who took part in the festivities by tying saffron turbans around their heads. “We cannot imagine how everything is organised, but it’s impressive,” said Loic. Stephan said seeing a crowd was scary at first, but “now that we are here, it’s a good feeling and gives us good vibes”. Furu Haashn, who travelled with his wife from Japan, was surprised and thankful for the air-conditioned enclosure. “It is great to watch the celebrations from here while having coffee,” he said. Steven Chou and Jhelum Bagchi, directors of a risk management society from New York, were astonished to see the management of such a large crowd. While MTDC received 72 advance registrations on its website, 112 visitors registered through its travel partners in South East Asia, and 63 walked in during the day. Most foreign tourists were unaware of the prior registration, but were offered on-the-spot registration after volunteers spotted them. The MTDC had tied up with the Federation of Hotel and Restuarant Association of India to enable visiting tourists to register. Additionally, MTDC and the Brihanamumbai Municipal Corporation provided facilities like drinking water, mobile toilets, first aid and transport facilities from the Taj Mahal Hotel, MTDC kiosk near Hotel Trident, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Churchgate Station.

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