The festival that overshadows all other activities in the city from Ganesh Chaturthi to Anant Chaturdashi thus had a sad ending for many. Scores of large idols refused to go under water -- three feet deep at the most -- while others were damaged as devotees jostled for space on the bank of the Tapi.

Though a couple of idols inevitably surface the morning after the immersion at high-tide, they have always been few in number all these years. Siltation, coupled with the sheer size of the idols, compounded the situation this year.

Eyewitnesses said many puja organisers burst into tears when they learnt immersion was not possible while others abandoned their idols on the banks, saying that maybe this was what the gods had ordained this year.

Surtis thus woke up to the unusual sight of the idols stuck just anyhow in the mud and slush of the river and the bank. But there was nothing anyone could do but wait for the next high tide to come and wash away the idols. When the waters finally began rising around 1.45 p.m. today, members of the Sailor Club, dominated by the Kharwa community, worked non-stop to push the idols into the water for a fee.

``We have to do this unpleasant duty'', club president J Sailor told Express Newsline.

``Where is religion and devotion in all this?'', questioned bystanders, accusing festival organisers of entering into pointless competitions over the size of the idol. ``Organisers and sculptors stuck to the stipulated size of 11 feet, but cleverly widened the base to ensure the idols looked bigger'', said members of the Sailor Club.

Every year, the authorities release water from the Ukai dam to facilitate immersion; however, this wasn't possible this year because of inadequate rains in the upper catchment areas.

Even as devotees tried to drown their dejection, most seemed to agree that the size of the idol needed to be brought under control. There was also vigourous debate on how the festival -- introduced by Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1893 in Pune to mobilise masses against the British empire and inculcate the spirit of patriotism -- could best be celebrated. From restricting the idol size and expenditure on decoration to constructing hospitals and public amenities from the amount gathered for the festivities, suggestions were aplenty. It remains to be seen how many of them are implemented.