Saraswati is thrown into the river

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For several days, the city has been preparing for a festival - the auspicious day was the 23rd. All over, there were new stalls selling differing sizes of deity, and podiums being created wherever you walk. Near to our hotel we watched every day as a bamboo structure was attached to the area above the walkway - a stage appeared and by the evening of the 22nd, the alley was swathed in red cloth, and a figure was up on the stage, sitting by a swan and playing a sitar like instrument. Her face was covered in newspaper, and the alley was lined with plastic chairs, drums and strings of flashing orange lightbulbs. There was yet again a feeling of excitement about the day to come and as usual (it seems on these festival days) we were woken pretty early with the sound of Indian pop music pounding out all around. The day itself didnt seem to have much happening. People worshipped the vast amounts of Saraswati figures, draped in yellow flowers (whose newpaper coverings had been removed) and people were happy, but there wasnt a huge amount to see. That is until yesterday. Although the auspiciuos day was the 23rd, the real party began on the 24th.
Again there was music pounding out (just as there is right now outside the internet cafe i'm in - it's so loud and booming!) but down by the river, the scene was totally alive. THere were loads and loads of people getting married - it is marriage season right now, but of course on special days there are more marriages. But the most prominent thing was that all day, all the statues were being brought down to the river.
Saraswati is the goddess of music and from what little i know, she is worshipped one day and then there are special ceremonies where she is worshipped some more and then thrown in the river to great applause.
We hired a boat (with the slowest boat man in the world) and went out to the middle of the river to take photos and I was fascinated by the different attitudes towards this ceremony. Some groups took their statue out quite seriously, performed the ceremony quickly, threw in the statue and sailed back to land. Others took drums out and spent ages, languishing in every exciting moment. Once the statue was thrown in, they would roar with exultation, arms in the air dancing away.
I was curious as to what would happen to everything that's thrown in. Our boatman provided the answer in a way by reaching into the water and retrieving a ceremonial coconut. But other than that, the deities sink to watery depths and some appear on shore later to be burnt as far as I can tell. The river must truly be full of them though, they just kept coming, all night!

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Photos

woman in red arch
Evening scene from our rooftop - a woman packing up her popadoms with her family

Being carried to the water
This was the Saraswati that had been on a podium near to our hotel which is just up at the top of those steps.

boys waiting for Saraswati
These kids were sitting on a boat waiting for their Saraswati figure to be put on the end before they set sail to the centre of the river

Saraswati on a boat
During the ceremony on the river, before being plunged. Saraswati is supposed to be a very beautiful Goddess

Falling Saraswati
Saraswati is being thrown into the water as the final part of the celebration

Floating Saraswati
Captured in the few moments before she sinks

Floating Saraswati2
close up before she sinks!

Floating Saraswati3
Ophelia-esque Saraswati. I was looking for bodies, and on this day, there were hundreds, sinking almost as soon as they were thrown in to their watery graves.

Sinking Saraswati
Down She Goes