Hyderabad bids farewell to Ganesh

HYDERABAD: Tank Bund, the nerve-centre of the city’s Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, was witness to a kaleidoscope of emotions and activities marking the Shobha yatra on Thursday.

From the break of dawn, Ganapati Bappa Moriya chants reverberated across PVNR Marg, Khairatabad, Telephone Bhavan, Secretariat, Liberty, Adarshnagar, and the surrounding areas, which all came to life by 9 am, as people from all walks of life converged for the grand immersion of Ganesha idols.

The diversity was evident as people arrived in various modes of transportation, from trucks to bikes and autos. Kids and adults, including a record number of women, walked for at least two kilometres to reach the immersion site. A heartening sight that went viral was the enthusiastic manner children took pride and delight in carrying eco-friendly idols.

Men and women in uniform, responsible for maintaining order, briefly joined the revelry, shaking a leg or two with the enthusiastic crowd. Volunteers provided much-needed refreshments, drinking water and buttermilk to the cops manning key junctions. A pleasant sight that drew the attention of everyone was when many persons staying as paying guests in Ameerpet and a boy’s hostel in Dilsukhnagar came in matching ethnic kurtas and danced to their heart’s content during the immersion. "Since the immersion day has come during the middle of the week, we decided against going home for a day. Moreover, we have only watched the massive celebrations on TV to date. This year we wished to be an integral part of the celebrations at the Hussainsagar. We were not disappointed. It was truly a memorable experience," recounted Sravani Akkarla, a working professional from Nalgonda district.

Things were not always smooth. Two groups clashed behind Prasad's Imax, briefly causing chaos before law enforcement authorities intervened and dispersed them.

The weather didn't dampen the spirits of the large gathering. Heavy rain did not deter the more exuberant people from dancing in the rains, though some took refuge in available shelters.

As the day progressed, some faced challenges, including difficulty finding water at noon, and vain bids to relieve themselves due to limited facilities.

The day unfolded without a single dull moment even as thousands of idols were waiting in line for the grand finale.

A police officer at the spot estimated that completing the task and clearing the area would end only by Friday noon.

As twilight approached, security measures intensified, with female staff monitoring and checking the proceedings. A few youth were counselled and warned before being released.

Amidst the jubilation, littering was a concern, but a group of seven young volunteers in red t-shirts and gloves stepped forward and set a fine humane example. They dedicated five hours to clean up whatever they could, exemplifying the spirit of community service.

"We wish we could stay all day long, but our number is still small and we saw how our cleaning motivated some not to litter. That difference in approach made our day," said Mohammed Asif, a volunteer.

Secretariat and Eat Street saw a good number of people making videos of their experiences for the sake of posterity.

"I saw people from various faiths joining the celebrations, which bears testimony to the city’s famed Ganga-Jamuna Tehzeeb," said Shreya Aiyar, a student.