Surat: Many Ganpati mandals are likely to install clay idols during this Ganeshotsav in the city. They also plan to immerse these idols in small ponds instead of Tapi River. Ganesh Utsav Samiti has announced that the mandals deciding to install clay idols will be given free permits by it at the earliest.Ganesh Utsav Samiti president Anil Biscuitwala said, “We will organize a rally on July 29 so as to appeal to people to not install idols made of plaster of Paris during the 10-day Ganeshotsav.” Several dignitaries are likely to take part in the rally.A large number of mandals have decided not to immerse idols into Tapi River. They will immerse the idols in a nearby ‘jal kumbha’ instead.There are 9,700 mandals in Surat and the number of idols to be installed in the city during the festival could go beyond 60,000. Around 8,000 idols installed in the city were made of clay and over 30,000 immersed in 21 artificial ponds prepared by Surat Municipal Corporation in 2017.This year, the number of artificial ponds is likely to go up because of demand by many more mandals for them. Some will just do symbolic ‘jalabhishek amid chanting of Vedic mantras.“We will support everyone who does not want to immerse his or her idol into Tapi to save the river from further pollution. It is unlikely that the dam authorities will release water into Tapi to facilitate immersion of idols. Only large idols will be taken beyond the city limits for immersion into the river,” Biscuitwala said.The 10-day festival begins from September 13.

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