HYDERABAD: Bringing the 11-day festive fervor of Ganesh Chaturthi to a grand conclusion, the immersion (nimajjan) of the iconic Khairatabad Maha Ganapati was successfully completed at Hussain Sagar lake on Anantha Chaturdashi. Bidding an emotional farewell, thousands of devotees lined the streets, chanting “Ganpathi Bappa Morya” and showering flower petals as the 69-foot tall Lord Saptamukha Maha Ganapati idol was lowered into the water at Crane No. 5 along NTR Marg.
Smooth Operations & Procession RouteFollowing the final maha aarti and rituals performed by the Khairatabad Ganesh Utsava Committee on the eve of the procession, the idol was carefully shifted onto the specialized multi-axle “Tusker” transport vehicle. Although early morning technical adjustments to the lifting gear delayed the start by roughly two hours, heavy machinery teams restored operations, allowing the procession (Shobhayatra) to roll out safely toward NTR Marg.
The grand chariot moved along its designated route from Khairatabad via Sensation Theater, Rajdoot Chaurasta, Telephone Bhavan, Iqbal Minar, and the Telangana Secretariat corridor before arriving at the lakefront. Thousands of pilgrims, cultural troupes, and traditional sannai melam performers accompanied the procession. In line with city directives, traditional music ensembles replaced high-decibel DJ systems.
To oversee the smooth conduct of the main immersion day, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the Hyderabad City Police deployed comprehensive arrangements across the central lake area. Over 20,000 police personnel, alongside specialized SHE Teams and CCS crime monitoring units, were stationed along the main procession corridor to maintain order and public safety.
Nearly 10,000 CCTV cameras were integrated directly with the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in Banjara Hills for continuous aerial and ground tracking. Over 280 static and mobile cranes were operational around Hussain Sagar and designated baby ponds across the city to manage the continuous influx of idols throughout the day.
With the Bada Ganesh immersion completed smoothly in the afternoon, civic authorities and police forces have turned their attention toward facilitating the remaining citywide idol processions heading toward Tank Bund and NTR Marg through the night.
