Khairatabad Ganesh Idol Immersion Concludes
The police maintained a constant all the procession route using drones
Hyderabad: Amid drumbeats, chants and the dances of thousands of devotees, the towering 69-foot Khairatabad Vishwashanti Maha Shakti Ganapati made its final journey to Hussainsagar on Saturday, where it was immersed at 1.45 pm.
Preparations began soon after Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy offered special prayers at the site on Friday. Through the night, workers dismantled the shed and supporting beams and at midnight, the idol received its final pooja. The accompanying idols of Sri Gajjalamma and Sri Vasavi Devi were placed on a heavy truck ahead of the main procession.
At 7.45 am, the massive idol set off towards Hussainsagar to the chants of Ganapati Bappa Moriya and the rhythmic beat of drums. Locals showered flowers from rooftops as the procession wound its way past Meera Theatre Road and Telephone Bhavan, guarded by hundreds of police officers and monitored from the Telangana Integrated Command and Control Centre.
Mounted police, including women officers, secured the route while cultural performances—Bonalu, Ghatam, folk dances and drum troupes—added colour to the celebrations. “I am from New Delhi, and this is the first time I’m seeing the grand celebrations of Lord Ganesha. I did not expect it to be so fun and enjoyable,” said Pranay, a visitor attending the procession.
By the time the idol reached the Telugu Talli flyover, thousands more had joined in, dancing to the drumbeats as the massive idol passed the Telangana Secretariat. At 12.30 pm, committee members conducted special rituals at Crane No. 4 in front of NTR Gardens. At 1 pm, the giant idol was lifted from the truck and carefully manoeuvred into the waters. By 1.46 pm, the Bada Ganesh was fully immersed, devotees chanting “Agle baras tu jaldi aa.”
A special 350-tonne “Baahubali” crane with an 80-metre boom—usually employed in cement plants—was deployed to handle the immersion. “There was a slight delay as devotees queued up for darshan on Friday, but we still managed to complete the immersion before 2 pm. Overall, this year’s celebrations are a grand success,” said Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav Committee convenor Sandeep Raj.
Bidding Goodbye to Bada Ganesh – Timeline
12 midnight: Kalasha puja at Khairatabad venue
5-5.30 am: Idol lifted by crane, placed on trailer, welding works to fasten the idol
7.45 am: Procession begins
10.30 am: Idol crosses Telephone Bhavan
11.15 am: Idol passes Secretariat
11.50 am: Idol reaches Crane 4 at NTR Gardens
12.30 pm: Rituals and special prayers by committee
1 pm: Idol lifted from the truck
1.20 pm: Idol touches water
1.41 pm: Idol immersed up to the hands
1.46 pm: Idol fully immersed in Hussainsagar