Maddur, Sept. 11 -- Maddur has returned to calm this morning after three days of tension following unrest during a Ganesha immersion procession, where miscreants pelted stones. Shops reopened and business activity resumed, even as Police maintained a tight vigil in sensitive areas to prevent any flare-ups.

To restore peace and bring the immersion festivities to a close, a collective Ganesha idol immersion was held last evening under elaborate security arrangements. The event saw the immersion of 18 idols in a coordinated procession.

For three days, Maddur simmered like embers beneath ash, but last evening, thousands of devotees, students and Hindu activists poured into the streets to take part in the peaceful procession. The event was a...