Hyderabad: The Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi on Thursday, September 10, clarified that the collective Ganesh idol immersion in the city would be held on Friday, September 25, on the occasion of Anant Chaturdashi, and appealed to devotees not to be misled by confusion being created on social media.
Addressing a media conference, Samithi representatives said the 47th collective Ganesh festival would begin with idol installations on September 14, Monday, on the occasion of Vinayaka Chavithi, and culminate with the mass immersion procession on September 25.
They said there was confusion among people over the 12-day duration of the festival and the fact that Anant Chaturdashi falls on a Friday. The Samithi clarified that the date of immersion was decided based on the tithi and the guidance of religious scholars and not on the day of the week.
“As Anant Chaturdashi falls on September 25 this year, the immersion will be conducted on that day not only in Bhagyanagar but across the country,” the Samithi said, urging devotees to participate in the celebrations without any apprehension or confusion.
The Samithi also appealed to the media to support the festival, which, it said, represented the preservation of the country’s traditions, culture and Hindu heritage and promoted social unity. It claimed that the festival generated economic activity of around Rs.6,000 crore in Bhagyanagar and provided direct employment to nearly two lakh people and indirect employment to about 4.5 lakh people.
The representatives urged the media not to give prominence to what they termed deliberate misinformation regarding pollution caused by Ganesh immersions. They said official reports and data from the Pollution Control Board should be considered while reporting on the issue.
50 lakh devotees expected to participate in the celebrations
The Samithi said preparations for the immersion had been underway for the past three months in coordination with spiritual and religious organisations and government departments. It estimated that around 50 lakh devotees would participate in the celebrations on Anant Chaturdashi.
At the same time, the Samithi expressed dissatisfaction over the alleged delay in coordination meetings with key government departments, particularly on arrangements at Vinayak Sagar and other immersion-related issues. It urged the Hyderabad police, GHMC and other departments to complete arrangements immediately.
The Samithi warned that if any untoward incident occurred due to lack of coordination or administrative lapses, the concerned government departments would have to take responsibility.
Ganesh Samithi questions restrictions on DJs, sound systems
Dr. Ravinuthala Shashidhar, General Secretary of the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Committee, on Thursday questioned the restrictions being imposed on sound systems and DJs during Ganesh festivities and urged the government to ensure that rules were implemented uniformly.
“Traditional musical instruments, dance programmes and sound systems are an integral part of our festivities. Secular governments need not tell us how to conduct our cultural programmes or impose secular rules selectively on us,” Dr. Shashidhar said.
He said the committee was ready to discuss sound pollution with the Hyderabad Police if the rules were applied uniformly. “The Supreme Court judgment on loudspeakers was not given only for Hindus. It applies to everyone. If the police have sincerity, they should first remove loudspeakers from religious places wherever the rules require it. We are ready to discuss the issue thereafter,” he said.
Dr. Shashidhar also objected to cases being booked and vehicles being seized over DJ and sound systems, saying several poor Hindu traditional artists and occupational communities depended on the festival for their livelihood. He urged the government to withdraw such restrictions.
He also criticised what he termed the “excessive interference” of HYDRAA in immersion-related matters. Referring to Ameenpur and Kapra lakes, he said officials should first examine the applicable laws before imposing restrictions on religious activities.
“First read the law you want to implement. Religious festivals and religious activities should not be unnecessarily stopped,” he said, adding that he had also raised the issue with the HYDRAA Commissioner.
Questioning the concerns being raised over immersion at Kapra Lake, Dr. Shashidhar said the government had earlier promoted decentralised immersion facilities. He claimed that around 6,000 idols could arrive at Kapra and said the authorities should make arrangements based on the available data on registered and unregistered idols.
He alleged that despite preparations for the festival being known well in advance, coordination meetings with key departments had been delayed. He appealed to the Chief Minister and all government departments, including the Hyderabad Police and GHMC, to coordinate with the committee for the successful conduct of the 47th collective Ganesh festivities.
Dr. Shashidhar said the committee had sought an appointment with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and would meet him and invite him to the celebrations.
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