The 11-day-long Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations have begun here on Wednesday with beautiful pandals erected in almost every nook and cranny of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
According to an estimate, about 40,000 Ganesh pandals have been erected across the city. Continuing the trend, this year too, many organisers have come up with beautiful idols and unique concepts. The Khairtabad Ganesh idol is the tallest in the city with an added attraction of a 3500 kg laddu. Appeals by the City Police and administration to limit the size of Ganesh idols were completely ignored. However, this year clay or environment-friendly idols had many takers.
The celebrations began with a pooja in which thousands of devotees participated. While governor ESL Narasimhan offered a pooja at the Khairtabad Ganesh pandal, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu took part in a pooja at the NTR Trust Bhavan. The governor offered a 50 foot "zanjeeram" and a 72 foot "khandwa" to the Khairtabad Ganesh idol. Labour Minister Danam Nagender and Secunderabad MP Anjan Kumar Yadav also offered pooja at Khairtabad Ganesh.
For the first time, a pooja was also organised at the Gandhi Bhavan by PCC vice-president Gangadhar and general secretary G Niranjan. Poojas were also held at the party offices of Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Hyderabad City Police has made unprecedented security arrangements to ensure the peaceful conduct of the 11-day long festival. Besides the regular force, additional security personnel have been deployed across the city for the smooth conduct of the festival.
The Ganesh festival will come to end with immersion processions on September 29. The administration has already made arrangements for the immersion of over 40,000 idols at Hussain Sagar. (INN)