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Ganesh Visarjan 2023: Famous Pandals Across City See Last-Minute Rush

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Mumbai: Scores of devotees on Wednesday queued at the city’s famous pandals to catch a glimpse of Lord Ganesh as the deity bids adieu today. Fondly known as Bappa, the elephant-headed god is immensely adulated during the 10-day Ganeshotsav. Anant Chaturdashi, which marks the end of the spirited festival, and Ganpati idols are immersed on this date, falls today.

On Wednesday, Akshay Kokate came all the way from Diva in Thane district to give a devotional farewell to Lalbaugcha Raja. Summing up his experience, an elated Kokate said that he felt twice as lucky because he got ‘mukh darshan’ (face glimpse), but was also present during ‘aarti’. “This is the second time I managed to get ‘mukh darshan’ during ‘aarti’. Last year, too, this had happened. I also got ‘darshan’ within 20-40 minutes as there was not much rush,” he said.

‘Last minute rush is less this year’

Another devotee Prathamesh Harer, who accompanied his mother to Lalbaug, said, “This year, people seem to have come on the first few days to take ‘darshan’ hence last minute rush is less.” His mother Sangeeta makes it a point to visit prominent Ganpatis in Chinchpokli-Lalbaug belt every year. She fondly remembers her wish being fulfilled when her husband returned home safely from service in Kashmir. “He was in Kashmir for two years during the 2000s as part of the civil defense service. I had stood in the ‘navas’ (wish-fulfilling) queue, praying that he would come home safely and he did,” recalled a barefooted Sangeeta.

Devotees walking barefoot and their forehead smeared with ‘gulaal’ (coloured powder) was a common sight on Wednesday at the Chinchpokli-Lalbaug belt which has famous pandals like Lalbaugcha Raja, Ganesh Galli Ganpati, Chintamani Ganpati and Tejukaya Ganpati. “We have been to Chintamani and now will be heading to Lalbaug. If we are lucky, we should be able to get ‘darshan’,” said Khushi Rai,18, who had come along with her friends.

Lalbaughcha Raja idol immersion

Talking about the idol immersion, Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshutsav Mandal President Balasaheb Kamble said, “We will be having a morning aarti and leave by 11am or so (today).” While the Ganpati will leave tomorrow, it will reach the immersion point at Girgaon Chowpatty on Friday morning. Andhericha Raja is one of those Ganpati idols that doesn’t go for immersion on Thursday. “Our Ganpati was of mill workers whose mill had shut down. They had a wish that if their mills restarted, they would keep Ganpati till ‘Sankasthi’, which happened. Hence, the trend of going later for immersion continues,” explained Azad Nagar Sarvajanik Utsav Samiti spokesperson Uday Salian.

Maharashtra

Mumbai bus travel becomes more expensive, fares increase

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SOURCE: FREE PRESS JUORNAL

Mumbai : Mumbai citizens have been hit by inflation ahead of the BMC elections. The fare hike for BEST buses has been approved. An additional fare of twice the fare will be implemented from today, which will now mean that BEST passengers will have to pay an additional fare, which will affect the pockets of the passengers. The BEST administration has decided to implement the new fare from May 9. The fare has been increased for distances of 5, 10, and 20 kilometers.

The fare for a distance of 5 kilometers has been doubled. The fare for a distance of 5 kilometers has been increased from Rs 6 to Rs 12. No concession has been given in the fare for a 12-year-old child. The daily pass was previously Rs 60, but now the new fare has been increased to Rs 75. The monthly pass is from Rs 900 to Rs 1,800. The facility of Chalo Bus Pass has been provided for children of the Municipal Corporation. The increase in bus fares and tickets in Mumbai has put a burden on the pockets of the citizens. Shared taxis and auto rickshaws are also operated in Mumbai city and its suburbs, but due to the fare, many passengers are unable to pay for these shared means of transport and travel by buses.

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Maharashtra

The verdict in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case will be announced on July 31

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Mumbai: The verdict in the September 29, 2008 bomb blast in Malegaon will be pronounced on July 31. BJP leader and former MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt. Col. Srikant Prasad Purohit, former Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Swami Dayanand Pandey, Ajay Rahirkar, and Sameer Kulkarni are accused of being involved in illegal activities. A bomb was planted in Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur’s scooter, after which the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested 13 accused in the case and charged 7 accused. The hearing of the Malegaon bomb blast will be completed in April. The verdict was expected to be pronounced today, but the court gave the reason that more than one lakh pages are under study and therefore the matter has been adjourned till July 31.

A bomb blast in a scooter at Bhakko Chowk killed 7 people and injured 100. In this case, ATS Chief Hemant Karkare investigated and MCOCA was also applied to the accused, but this investigation was later handed over to the NIA in 2011. The NIA has sought death penalty for the accused in this case. Statements of 223 witnesses were recorded in this case and 23 witnesses defected in the court, including 8 witnesses from the army and defense department. The court has ordered all the accused to be present on July 31 and if anyone is absent, action will be taken against him. The court will pronounce its verdict in this case only on July 31 because the hearing of the case has been completed and the court has also reserved its verdict.

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Maharashtra

Digital Rakshak secures money of five complainants who were scammed in the name of Digital Arrest

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Mumbai: Five complainants who were scammed on social media in the name of digital arrest through the Mumbai Police’s Digital Rakshak (Digital Protector) have been protected by the Digital Rakshak. In Mumbai, CBI, ED and police officers send notices on social media and WhatsApp in the name of Digital Arrest, demanding huge money for video calling in the name of investigation and saving them from the case in the name of investigation. Accordingly, Mumbai Police has developed the Digital Rakshak app. The complaint of five victim complainants was processed on this helpline. In Mumbai’s Chembur area, a video call was made to an elderly person on social media calling him Digital Arrest and it was said that he had huge money in his bank account and his documents, Aadhaar card and PAN card were used in illegal activities.

The caller on the call told the elderly person that he was a CBI officer and demanded money without disconnecting the video call. During this, the victim When the daughter entered the house, she found her father scared and then she asked her father why he was scared. On this, the father told her that it was a call from a CBI officer and that he had transferred money in this matter. After that, the victim contacted the Mumbai Police’s Digital Rakshak helpline and then informed the police about this notice. After that, it was confirmed that this notice was prepared by the CBI and ED by creating a fake notice and sending it on WhatsApp. The police have resolved five cases of digital arrest and have appealed to the citizens that no security agency does digital arrest and neither is investigation done on WhatsApp, so be careful of such elements.

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