Khairatabad Ganesh idol's immersion procession begins late in Hyderabad
The 69-ft Khairatabad Ganesh idol's journey to Hussainsagar began behind schedule on Ananta Chaturdasi as welding continued and devotees thronged the streets.
The immersion procession of Hyderabad's 69-ft Khairatabad Ganesh idol got off to a delayed start on Friday morning, as crowds gathered under an overcast sky to watch the idol being moved towards Hussainsagar lake on Ananta Chaturdasi.
Welding work on the idol was still underway when the scheduled departure time passed. A security official overseeing the arrangements said the aim had been to complete the immersion before noon, but the process was running slightly behind.
The idol, which had been built over several months and worshipped for ten days, was hauled onto a trailer truck for transport to the lake. As workmen welded the structure to the vehicle, traditional musicians played 'Vaatapi Ganapati bhajem' on sannai and mridangam.
A crane operator at the site, Fayaz, said the idol was not heavy, and that another crane stationed near the lake would handle the immersion.
A large deployment of Telangana police, who had been on duty for the past ten days, guarded the route and cleared a passage through the busy residential and commercial areas of Khairatabad and Lakdikapul. Devotees arrived from across the city from the morning to take part in the final day of the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities.
Plastic confetti scattered across the streets as the procession moved, leaving Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation sanitation workers to clear the litter.