Hyderabad: The Khairatabad Maha Ganesh idol was immersed after days of devotion in Hussain Sagar on Friday, September 25, marking the end to the Vinayaka Chaviti festivities that began on September 14.
The immersion procession of the Khairatabad idol began on Friday morning with the towering idol moved around 50 metres from the pandal on a specially arranged vehicle, while 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 depicts 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 will proceed alongside the Telugu Talli flyover, through the Secretariat and towards Tank Bund, where the immersion is scheduled to be completed by noon.
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.
Preparations are also underway for 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. Eight participants have registered so far for this year’s bidding, with the 21-kg laddu expected to fetch a competitive bid.
Last year, Karmanghat resident Lingala Dasrath Goud won the laddu for a record Rs 35 lakh, and this year’s auction is expected to surpass that figure. The auction will begin at 9:30 am, after which the Balapur Ganesh idol will be taken on an 18-km Shobha Yatra towards Hussain Sagar for immersion.
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.
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