Ganesh Chaturthi festival concludes, devotees bid adieu to God; See pics

Processions carrying idols of Lord Ganesh for immersion began winding their way towards rivers and lakes across the nation on Sunday morning, marking the culmination of the 11-day festival on September 23, 2018. The Ganesh Chaturthi festival, a popular 11-day religious festival which is annually celebrated across India, runs this year from September 13 to September 23, and culminates with the immersion of idols of Ganesh in local water bodies. Take a look at the photos of Ganesh Visarjan from across the nation.

Devotees carry an idol of Lord Ganesha to be immersed into river Yamuna on the last day of Ganesh Chaturthi festival, in New Delhi, Sunday, Sept 23, 2018. (PTI)

Devotees carry an idol of Lord Ganesha to be immersed into river Yamuna on the last day of Ganesh Chaturthi festival, in New Delhi, Sunday, Sept 23, 2018. (PTI)

Devotees carry the Idol of Lord Ganesha for the immersion in a makeshift pond in Ulsoor lake during the 5th day of Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Bengaluru on Monday. (PTI)

Devotees carry an idol of Lord Ganesha for immersion during Ganesh Utsav celebrations at Dadar Chawpati, in Mumbai. (PTI)

A devotee carries a Lord Ganesha idol for immersion during Ganesh Utsav celebrations at the Dadar Chawpati, in Mumbai. (PTI)

Devotees immerse a Lord Ganesha idol at Dadar Chawpati during Ganesh Utsav, in Mumbai. (PTI)

While public Ganesh mandals prefer to take the idols for immersion to sea shores or rivers, families which install smaller idols are increasingly conducting 'viasarjan' at homes in buckets of water.

An Indian Hindu devotee carries an idol of the elephant-headed Hindu deity Ganesh for immersion at Dadar Chowpatty beach on the fifth day of the eleven-day long festival Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai on September 17, 2018. (AFP)

This year, the Ganesh festival also became a public outreach opportunity for politicians, who are eyeing blessings of both Lord Ganesh and his devotees ahead of an election year. A visual from Hyderabad. (AFP)

With a view to avoid pollution of natural water bodies, many civic bodies have also set up artificial ponds for immersion. Crane workers immerse an idol of the Hindu deity Ganesh in the Hussain Sagar Lake on the eleventh day of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Hyderabad on September 23, 2018. (AFP)

Devotees watch as crane workers lift an idol of Hindu god Lord Ganesh to immerse in the Hussain Sagar Lake on the eleventh day long festival Ganesh Chaturthi in Hyderabad on September 23, 2018.(AFP)

Crane workers immerse an idol of the Hindu deity Ganesh in the Hussain Sagar Lake on the eleventh day of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Hyderabad on September 23, 2018.(AFP)

A crane worker climbs an idol of Hindu deity Ganesh to secure it before immersing it in the Hussain Sagar Lake on the eleventh day of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Hyderabad on September 23, 2018. (AFP)

Devotees watch as crane workers immerse an idol of Hindu deity Ganesh in the Hussain Sagar Lake on the eleventh day of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Hyderabad on September 23, 2018. (AFP)

A young boy immerses idol of Hindu god Lord Ganesh in the polluted Yamuna river on the ninth day of the eleven-day long festival Ganesh Chaturthi in New Delhi on September 21, 2018. (AFP)

A woman prays prior to immersing an idol of Hindu god Lord Ganesh in the polluted Yamuna river on the ninth day of the eleven-day long festival Ganesh Chaturthi in New Delhi on September 21, 2018. (AFP)