Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations Begin

The week-long Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations began in Hyderabad on Thursday.

Beautiful pandals were erected at almost every nook and corner of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

According to an estimate, about 40,000 Ganesh pandals have been erected across the city. Keeping in view the rainy season, the organisers have made special arrangements to ensure that rains do not disrupt the regular poojas for the next 10 days.

The Khairtabad Ganesh and Balapur Ganesh, both of which are over 50 feet-tall, and whose laddu auctions fetch several lakhs of rupees, were the major attractions this year.

However, appeals by the City Police and administration, to limit the size of Ganesh idols, were completely ignored.

While Governor E S L Narasimhan offered a pooja at the Khairatabad Ganesh pandal, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy peformed a pooja at his camp office at Begumpet.

TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu took part in the pooja at the NTR Trust Bhavan. Congress MLA K Chiranjeevi performed one at a village in Chittoor district. Talking to reporters, Chiranjeevi hoped that his 150th film would hit the screens by next year.

Poojas were also held at the party offices of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The Hyderabad City Police made unprecedented security arrangements to ensure the peaceful conduct of the 10-day long festival. More than 15,000 police personnel have been deployed across the city to prevent any untoward incident.

As many as 6 superintendents of police rank officers, 15 additional SPs, 77 DSPs, 135 inspectors, 500 SIs, 300 head constables, 4,000 police constables, about 2,700 Home Guards, 40 armed reserve platoons and 120 woman police constables have been deployed.

The Ganesh festival will come to end with the immersion procession on September 9. The administration has already made arrangements for the immersion of an estimated 40,000 idols at Hussain Sagar. (INN)