Devotees in Hyderabad bid adieu to Lord Ganesh

Hyderabad : The immersion of Ganesh idols was underway in the Hussain Sagar lake and other water bodies in the city since early morning, marking the conclusion of the 11-day 'Vinayaka Chaviti' festival.

Thousands of idols of different sizes and colours, installed at various places here during the festivities, were taken by the devotees for immersion.The immersion procession of the famous 57-feet-tall Ganesh idol installed at a pandal in Khairatabad area here also began in the morning.

The authorities have planned to conclude the immersion of the Khairatabad Ganesh idol in the Hussain Sagar lake by the afternoon, to ease congestion on the roads.During the previous years, the Ganesh idol at Khairatabad was taken out for farewell towards the end of the immersion process.The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the police have made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the immersion rituals.The civic body has arranged for immersion at 23 water bodies in the city, mayor B Rammohan said.

He appealed to the devotees to make use of the special immersion ponds set up by the GHMC at different places.Nearly 6,000 idols were immersed in these ponds till yesterday, he said.The GHMC was providing water and other basic facilities for the convenience of the devotees taking part in rituals.

Nearly 10,000 sanitation personnel and 75 swimmers were deployed for the immersion event, the mayor said.The civic body also pressed into service 27 cranes for carrying the idols and immersing them in the Hussain Sagar lake and other major water bodies in the city, GHMC Commissioner B Janardhan Reddy said.

Over 24,000 police personnel were deployed for the smooth conduct of immersion of the idols. Special cameras were installed to keep an eye on the entire event in the city, police officials said.Traffic restrictions were imposed at some places in the city to facilitate the immersion processions, they said.In view of the mega event, the Telangana government has declared a holiday today, according to an official release.