The immersion of thousands of Lord Ganesh idols began in Hyderabad and across Telangana on Tuesday, marking the end of the nine-day Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
Around 100,000 idols were set up for worship this year in Hyderabad, and the ¸government has made extensive arrangements for the immersion process.
The 'Shobha Yatra' of the 70-foot Ganesh statue from the popular Khairatabad pandal, a key highlight of the festival, also commenced on Tuesday morning, with the immersion of the giant idol in Hussain Sagar lake expected by noon.
One of the major draws of the festivities is the auction of laddus offered as 'prasadam' in the pandals. It is believed that winning the laddu brings prosperity to the bidder. In a recent auction, the laddu at a pandal in Bandlaguda Jagir fetched Rs 1.87 crore, according to media reports.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy held a review meeting on Monday with senior officials, including police, to ensure smooth arrangements for the immersion. He directed special monitoring at Tank Bund and other water bodies, according to an official release.
Police officials informed the CM that the immersion within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits would be monitored via 733 CCTV cameras. GHMC Commissioner Amrapali Kata added that 15,000 personnel from various departments, including sanitation and engineering, would work in three shifts for the 24-hour immersion event.
A total of 468 cranes have been deployed for the immersion, while around 25,000 police officers have been assigned for security. Hyderabad traffic police have also imposed restrictions to ensure the smooth flow of traffic during the 'visarjan', expected to continue for the next 24 hours.
Follow us
