Hyderabad: Ganesh idols were immersed on Friday, September 25, marking the end of the Vinayaka Chaviti festivities that began on September 14, amid tight security and an aerial survey by Hyderabad in-charge Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, Telangana Director General of Police CV Anand, Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar and other top officials.
The immersion procession of the Khairatabad idol began in the morning with the towering idol moved around 50 metres from the pandal on a specially arranged vehicle, while the immersion of Lord Ganesha idols got underway across Telangana.
The towering idol was shifted after preparations for the immersion began following the suspension of darshan at midnight. Workers completed the removal of sheds and supporting structures before the movement of the idol began.
This year’s 69-foot idol depicted Panchamukha Sankatahara Maha Ganapati, a five-faced form of Lord Ganesha. The eco-friendly idol was crafted using natural river clay, sand and paddy straw, with artisans from four states involved in its construction. A 15-foot Somnath Jyotirlinga and an image of Kalika Mata were also part of the installation.
The Khairatabad procession proceeded alongside the Telugu Talli flyover, through the Secretariat and towards Tank Bund, where the immersion was completed.
Balapur Ganesh
At Balapur, the Ganesh idol was installed at Balapur Fort Ground with the pandal designed around a Puri Jagannath Temple theme this year, bringing the architectural identity of the famed Odisha shrine into the Hyderabad neighbourhood.
The pandal has built a reputation over the years for drawing inspiration from well-known temples, with the 2025 edition modelled on the Swarnagiri Venkateswara Temple. Balapur is best known for the laddu offered to the idol, which is auctioned off ahead of the immersion each year, a tradition dating back to 1994.
In the annual Ganesh laddu auction, a three-decade-old tradition that has grown from an initial bid of Rs 450 in 1994 into a high-profile event, Sama Praneeth Reddy came out victorious by spending a record-breaking Rs 39 lakh, defeating seven others for the 21-kg sweetmeat.
Devotees thronged immersion points at Hussain Sagar and other water bodies across the city through the day, with idols arriving in decorated vehicles. Elaborate security arrangements were made for the immersion, with about 30,000 police personnel deployed for security, crowd management and traffic regulation, and more than 10,000 CCTV cameras used for surveillance, police said.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar inspected arrangements at Tank Bund and reviewed security measures on Friday. As part of the arrangements, 24 advanced drones and nearly 100 high-rise cameras have been deployed along major thoroughfares to monitor crowd density and facilitate automated counting of idols, police said.
Personnel equipped with high-powered binoculars and wireless sets have been positioned on rooftops of elevated buildings along the procession routes.
‘Long night ahead,’ says DGP
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner RV Karnan and Hyderabad District Collector Priyanka Ala also joined the aerial survey to assess the movement of idol-laden vehicles and immersion arrangements across the city.
The DGP posted on X that fewer vehicles were on the roads than expected. “Our teams may have a long night ahead. After coming back, I instructed all unit officers to talk to the organisers and speed up,” he said.
Minister Ponnam Prabhakar told the media that the immersion process was continuing peacefully. He urged organisers and devotees to cooperate in expediting the immersion in view of possible rains. “The situation is peaceful and under control. In light of possible rains, we request organisers to complete the idol movement quickly. The government aims to complete the immersion process by tomorrow morning or as soon as possible,” he said.
He added that the Khairatabad Ganesh immersion was completed in the afternoon and said the government had made all arrangements to conduct the immersion peacefully with devotion and faith. All departments had taken measures to ensure no inconvenience to devotees and organisers.
Prabhakar urged people to participate joyfully and act responsibly to prevent accidents or law-and-order issues. He acknowledged traffic jams at MJ Market and Charminar but said officials were given immediate instructions to ease congestion.
Authorities arranged 114 immersion points across Hyderabad. Police Commissioner Sajjanar said police received 14,850 applications from organisers for immersion and more than 10,300 idols had already been immersed. He said the process would be completed before Saturday morning.
The Commissioner inspected procession routes and security arrangements from the Telangana Command and Control Centre in Banjara Hills. He said the immersion was proceeding peacefully, supported by surveillance using about 10,000 CCTV cameras and drones, along with coordination among departments such as Electricity, GHMC, TGSRTC and Health. Sajjanar added that senior officials were taking appropriate measures to regulate traffic.
Follow on Twitter | Edited by Syeda Faiza Kirmani | | 
