Hyderabad Gets Ready to Host Ganesha Fest With 1.5 L Idols
Devotees also participate in dances during the processions.
Hyderabad:Hyderabad is gearing up for Ganesh Chaturthi festival, with around 1.5 lakh idols expected to be installed at mandaps across the city even as the HMDA distributed 1.3 lakh eco-friendly Ganesha idols across the city.
Organisers are also preparing for the arrival of idols at mandaps, with brass bands, lighting and firecrackers forming part of the processions. Devotees also participate in dances during the processions.
Several large mandaps, meanwhile, are making the idols at the venue itself because of their height. Artisans were sourced from Pune, Nashik and Aurangabad to work on large idols.
Narsingh Matree, an artisan who has arrived in the city with his team to make idols at several places, said, “These are the big size Ganesha idols. We have been in Hyderabad for the last four months. Each idol cost us around Rs 10 to Rs 15 lakh. Organisers wanted new ideas to give the devotees a divine feel when they look at the Ganesha Idol.”
Charminar, Begum Bazaar, Bazar Ghat, Hanuman Tekdi, Sultan Bazaar, Kacheguda, Chikkadpally, Chappal Bazaar, Ram Nagar, Chintal Basti and Himayatnagar are among the areas where organisers expect large numbers of visitors during the festival.
Makeshift shops selling idols and festival-related items have come up across the city, while vendors have set up stalls and pushcarts in markets for the sale of puja material.
With the festival coinciding with the weekend, a large number of people are travelling to their native places. The railways and RTC have arranged special services to meet the increased demand.
