AP: Ganesh Idols Immersed Amid Devotional Zeal

Kakinada: The Godavari districts were filled with festive spirit as organizers of Ganesh pandals took to the streets in vehicles since Saturday morning for the immersion of the idols, dancing to religious songs and drumbeats. The immersion processions were held amidst DJs with popular tunes. The youths were seen dancing on the streets in front of the procession. The police deployed drones to monitor the processions and maintain law and order.

Wherever the procession was halted due to traffic, the police, with the help of drones, immediately took steps to clear the vehicular traffic. Kakinada Superintendent of Police G. Bindu Madhav closely monitored the processions. He visited Samalkot Ganesh Idols immersion place and inspected the arrangements. He said the procession was being monitored through 13 drones, and the immersion process was going on peacefully without any untoward incidents. The SP said there were 3,600 idols in the district, out of which 1,900 idols had already been immersed for the past three days. Steps were taken to complete the immersion process as early as possible, he said.

Kakinada Nagara Ganesh Utsav Samithi, which took all Ganesh idols under one umbrella for the past 35 years, expressed happiness at the immersion programme. Samithi chief advisor Duvvuri Subrahmanyam and president Y. Malakondaiah said the Samithi had been fighting to provide free power supply to the pandals for the past two years. However, the current alliance government has fulfilled the demand.

In Rajamahendravaram, the police diverted the traffic due to immersion of Ganesh Idols. East Godavari district superintendent D. Narasimha Kishore said the processions were being monitored through drones, and special police personnel were deployed to ensure the successful completion of the immersion event. The police arranged traffic cut-off points at Ambedkar Circle (RMC), three town police stations, the Kotagummam centre, the Potti Sriramulu statue, and Dhobhi Ghat near Kumari Takies. He said all vehicles carrying the Ganesh idols should follow traffic norms and not cross the guidelines until the process is completed. Only one Vinayaka Idol has been allowed due to permission, and the remaining vehicles are not permitted to the Godavari Bund, the SP said.