Hyderabad: Lakhs of devotees in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh today bid an emotional adieu to Lord Ganesh on the immersion day, marking conclusion of the ten-day long festival.
The ritual of immersion, locally known as ‘Nimajjanam', of thousands of idols in various water bodies amid tight security, was a massive event in Hyderabad with an estimated 15 lakh people taking part in it.
An estimated 15,000 idols were immersed by the evening since various processions marking the ritual started in morning, and the processions are likely to continue till tomorrow afternoon.
Marked by religious fervour and gaiety, the processions of idols of different sizes and forms began from different parts of the city and the idols were immersed in Hussain Sagar lake and 23 other water bodies in the city.
The main venue for immersion is the Hussain Sagar lake in the heart of the city where the administration has arranged a number of cranes to facilitate the ritual and also for removal of debris.
The main procession, which had started from Balapur on the outskirts of the city, will pass through Charminar, historic M J Market and Basheerbagh before reaching Hussain Sagar.
Before the processions began, traditional auction of ‘laddu' offered to Lord Ganesh was conducted at different pandals in the city.
The ‘laddu' at Balapur, famous for its auction, fetched about Rs 9.50 lakh.
Police have made elaborate security arrangements by deploying about 40,000 security personnel and installing about 10,000 CCTV cameras across the city, besides stepping up vigil following reports on the threats to the country from international terror outfits.
The processions also passed through some communally-sensitive parts of the city. Telangana Home Minister N Narasimha Reddy, DGP Anurag Sharma undertook an aerial survey of the processions in the evening.
The major attraction in Ganesh festivities in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is the 60-ft tall idol installed at Khairatabad in the city.
The huge idol will be taken for immersion in Hussain Sagar in a special vehicle around midnight tonight.
Meanwhile, flowers were showered on the immersion procession in Hyderabad by a special chopper as per the instructions given by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
“A special helicopter made five sorties and showered flowers,” said a release from the Telangana Chief Minister's Office.
