MARGAO: Ten of the 17 police stations in South Goa install Ganesh idols during the festival, a practice that had started during the erstwhile Portuguese regime and is still continued with all pomp and devotion with many of them having intricately designed backdrops.

As transport system was not very advanced then, the Portuguese had allowed Hindu police personnel to install Ganesh idols at the police station and worship it as they could not travel home to participate in this important festival.

The 10 police stations where the idols are installed are Margao Town, Cuncolim, Quepem, Curchorem, Sanguem, Canacona, Vasco, Verna, Mormugao and Collem. While at nine stations the idol is worshipped for 11 days at Verna police station it is kept only for nine days.

Canacona Police station started installing the idol only since 1984 while at Verna the tradition was started in 2000. New police stations like Fatorda and Colva do not install the idol along with the Konkan and Vasco Railway police stations.

Ganesh idols are installed next door to Ponda and Maina-Curtorim police stations police thereby negating the need for one.