This year's Ganesh festivities to be themed around Shivaji's reign

HYDERABAD: Celebrating the 350 years of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s enthronement will be the theme of this year’s Ganesh festivities, which will begin on September 18 and culminate with the immersion of idols on September 28.

As part of the celebrations, the organisers will recreate the glory of Shivaji by way of street plays, folk renditions and pictorial exhibitions revolving around the life and times of the great Maratha king and his empire.

Arrangements for the ensuing event were discussed at length at a meeting convened by Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsava Samithi (BGUS), the main organisers, with division conveners and Assembly committee members under the Rachakonda police commissionerate. Also present on the occasion were organisers of LB Nagar, Uppal, Medchal, Malkajgiri, Maheshwaram, Bhongir and Ibrahimpatnam pandals.

Participants were urged to abide by all government directions in this regard while promoting divinity and patriotism among the people.

According to Dr Ravinutala Sasidhar, “Divisional-level committees should work continuously to organize the 44th mass festival in Bhagyanagaram, coordinate with all government departments, organize conferences of mandap managers and spread awareness. Around 50 lakh people will be on the streets during the immersion. Many social organisations have volunteered to arrange food and drinking water for the devotees.”

The samithi’s general secretary Dr Bhagavant Rao, said, "We have been organising the event on a grand note in order to unite the entire Hindu community. Ganesh utsavs have played a major role during the freedom movement.”