Shobayatra of Hyderabad's 70-foot tall Ganesh idol underway

Hyderabad, Sep 17 (IANS) Hyderabad’s tallest Ganesh idol began its journey for immersion in Hussain Sagar Lake early on Tuesday amid tight security.

The 70-foot tall idol was being carried on a special Tusker vehicle to the lake, which is the focal point of the annual immersion procession.

Saptamukha Mahaganapati Shobayatra began from Khairatabad early morning after the final puja and the idol is likely to be immersed by afternoon.

Popular as Khairatabad Ganesh, it is considered one of the tallest Ganesh idols in the country.

The eco-friendly idol was placed on a Tusker vehicle with the help of a huge crane. A large number of devotees participated in the Shobayatra amid a festive atmosphere.

The Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav Committee in coordination with the police and other departments made elaborate arrangements for smooth shifting of the idol for immersion.

After the last puja around midnight, the workers started moving the idol from the platform to the Tusker vehicle. It took nearly six hours to shift the idol and install it on the specially designed vehicle.

Hundreds of people were participating in the procession, which will cover a distance of about two kilometres to reach NTR Marg via Telephone Bhavan and Secretariat.

Authorities have made special arrangements for the immersion of Khairatabad Ganesh by installing a heavy crane.

As the transport and immersion of Khairatabad Ganesh is a huge task for all -- the police, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and other departments that make special efforts.

Thousands of devotees performed puja at Khairatabad Ganesh for 10 days. According to organisers, on Sunday (September 15) alone, about 3 lakh devotees had darshan.

Khairatabad Ganesh has a history of nearly 70 years. The organisers had installed a one-foot idol for the first time in 1954 and since then, the height has been increasing by one foot every year.

Due to COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the organisers had installed a one-foot idol though they were planning a 66-foot idol.

Khairatabad Ganesh is a major attraction of annual celebrations in the city. The State Governor, Chief Minister, ministers and other VIPs perform puja at this idol.

Every year the organisers install the statue with a new theme and new avatar. This year the theme was selected as ‘Saptamukha Mahaganapati’.

Chinnaswamy Rajendran, a Chennai-based sculptor, led a 150-member strong team of artisans in crafting the idol.

The idol measures 28 feet in width and is made of 35,000 kg of clay with 25 tonnes of iron and other materials.