HYDERABAD: Thousands of devotees witnessed the grand immersion of the Khairatabad Sapta Mukha Maha Shakti Ganapati idol in Hussainsagar, joining the procession to the lake. The day was full of colour, fervour, and devotion as the towering 70-feet-tall idol made its journey amidst the drumbeats and religious chants, and strict discipline.
At 10 pm on Monday, the idol received its final puja at the venue. Immediately after, the shed and supporting beams surrounding the idol were removed. At 1 am Tuesday, the idols of Srinivasa Kalyanam and Shiva Parvati Kalyanam placed on a truck.
At 5 am, the Bada Ganesh idol was lifted, placed and welded on the transporting truck, and at 6.30 am, the grand procession began to Hussainsagar.
Locals showered the idol with flowers as the massive idol made its way out through Meera Theatre road towards Telephone Bhavan, under the vigil of nearly 60 CCTV cameras, drones, 10 mounted police officers and more than 700 police personnel.
As the procession arrived near Telugu Talli flyover, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Hyderabad police commissioner C.V. Anand, GHMC mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi, GHMC commissioner Amrapali Kata and senior officials arrived at Hussainsagar.
A special crane that can carry 350 tonnes was used to immerse the idol. The crane, with the main boom length of 80 metres, was previously used in cement plants.
As the procession reached Hussainsagar, a sense of reverence enveloped the crowd. Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav Committee convener Sandeep Raj took the ‘Kalasham’ of the idol and dipped it in the lake waters, and performed a special puja.
At 1.30 pm, after the offerings, the giant idol was slowly lifted from its platform, and carefully immsersed into the Hussainsagar.
