Hyderabad comes alive amid peaceful Ganesh immersions
Shobha Yatra, the procession for the immersion of Ganesh idols of Ganesh Chaturthi festivities, is going on peacefully
HYDERABAD: Shobha Yatra, the procession for immersion of Ganesh idols to mark the grand finale of the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi festivities, are going on peacefully and with full fervour here on Friday.
The surroundings of Hussain Sagar including Tank Bund and Necklace Road have come alive with hundreds of Ganesh idols, small and big, making a beeline to the historical lake for immersion. Massive preparations were also put in for the immersion of the famous Khairatha Ganesh which stood 50-feet tall this year. It took several hours for the gigantic clay idol to cover a distance of over a kilometre before it was immersed in Hussain Sagar on Friday evening.
By 3 pm, the procession reached the Lakdi-ka-pul and Telephone Bhavan area with the police and the organisers taking all precautions. By 5 pm, the huge idol moved closer to the NTR Marg. Finally, around 7 pm, crane no. 4 was used to immerse the mammoth Khairathabad Ganesh in Hussain Sagar.
The police and civic authorities have made elaborate arrangements, not just around Hussain Sagar but also at several prominent lakes around the twin cities. The Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsava Samithi, which was initially concerned about the preparations, have expressed their contentment and thanked the police and the civic authorities for their efforts.
Meanwhile, Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Mahender Reddy monitored the nimajjanam proceedings from the Command Control Centre. With the help of the CCTV camera visuals, he personally witnessed live the processions and immersions taking place in Hyderabad and elsewhere in the state. He complimented the police department for making elaborate arrangements and for ensuring peaceful and incident-free immersions.
The state government on Wednesday declared Friday (September 9) a public holiday within Hyderabad and a few other adjoining districts in view of the Ganesh nimajjanam.
The famous Balapur Ganesh laddu, whose auction makes headlines every year, fetched a record Rs 24.6 lakhs this time.