Hyderabad Ganesh immersion ends peacefully; top cop joins celebration dance

Hyderabad's Ganesh idol immersion procession at Hussain Sagar Lake passed off peacefully, with more than 20,000 idols immersed and no untoward incident reported, Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar said on Saturday.

Speaking to the media, Sajjanar said the 2026 festival had concluded smoothly and that police personnel had worked almost continuously for 24 hours to manage the processions. The immersion exercise drew idols not only from Hyderabad but also from the surrounding areas of Malkajgiri and the state's future cities, he added.

The Commissioner said the event began with the 69-foot mega Ganesh idol of Hyderabad and also featured the well-known Balapur idol. "Almost for 24 hours, we had continuous immersion, starting from the historical and mega Ganesh idol of 69 feet of Hyderabad," he said, adding that the remaining idols were also immersed without any trouble.

Sajjanar thanked the Telangana government, the Director General of Police and other stakeholders for their support in managing the festival. He noted that only a few idols were left for immersion and that traffic movement in the city had returned to normal.

He said that apart from smaller household idols, more than 20,000 idols of over five feet were immersed during the festival. After the procession ended, the Commissioner joined fellow police personnel in a celebratory dance to the song "Aaya Share."

Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 began on September 14, marking the start of the 10-day Ganeshotsav. The celebrations conclude with Ganesh Visarjan, when idols are taken out in processions and immersed in water bodies.