Terror alerts and swine flu scare did not dampen the spirit of Mumbaikars as they welcomed the elephant headed-god with 'aartis' and chants of 'Ganpati bappa morya' amidst intermittent showers as the 10-day Ganeshotsav celebrations began on Sunday.

In the backdrop of the 26/11 terror attacks, the 10,349 Ganesh mandals across the city have made elaborate security arrangements during the festival to ensure safety of devotees.

"This is one of the biggest festivals in the backdrop of the November 26 terror attacks. We have elaborate security arrangements in place," Joint Police Commissioner (Law and Order) Himanshu Roy said.

The mandals have installed CCTVs and metal detectors among other modern gadgets besides training their volunteers to deal with any untoward situation.

Police men would be deployed at strategic locations and 50 watch towers have been set up to monitor the crowd, Roy said.