Ganesh bids adieu amid drums, dances and devotion in Hyderabad

The centralised Ganesh idol immersion procession began in Hyderabad on Friday as hundreds of idols were taken towards water bodies. The Khairatabad Ganesha was immersed around 2.45 p.m., while a long line of vehicles remained on roads into the night.

Hyderabad: Culminating the Vinayaka Chaturthi festivities, the centralised Ganesh idol immersion procession began on Friday, with hundreds of idols presenting the remover of all obstacles in myriad forms and sizes making a beeline to water bodies.

The main procession, which commenced after the traditional auction of the laddu, which went for Rs 39 lakh at Balapur, wended its way through parts of the old city, past Charminar, and moved to Moazzam Jahi Market and then to Hussain Sagar.

Devotees in large numbers thronged the entire procession route as vehicles carrying Ganesha idols presented in colourful concepts moved slowly.

A major attraction of the festivities, the Khairatabad Ganesha idol began its journey three hours behind schedule due to a technical glitch in the crane and was immersed at around 2.45 p.m.

Fluttering saffron flags, sprinkling of gulal, devotional songs and folk dances accompanied the big and small idols. Youngsters danced to the beats of marfa, Teen Maar and pulsating beats generated by folk artists along the route.

Arrangements were made along the procession route and at the water bodies, and the Hussain Sagar shores along Necklace Road were dotted with huge cranes for bigger idols. Divers were stationed at the immersion points and police personnel were deployed to streamline the procession and idol immersion.

Though the authorities had planned for completion of the idol immersions by late Friday night, a long line of vehicles carrying the idols remained stretched for miles even in the night. Police officials conceded that the idol immersion would spill over to Saturday and hoped it would be concluded by afternoon.