Hyderabad: The much-awaited grand procession (Shobha Yatra) of the Khairatabad Bada Ganesh idol got underway in Hyderabad on Friday amid scenes of high devotion and celebration. Thousands of devotees gathered around the idol as the procession began to chants of “Jai Bolo Ganesh Maharaj Ki Jai.”
The 69-foot idol — the tallest in this year’s celebrations — was carefully loaded onto a specially designed heavy-duty vehicle for its journey to Tank Bund for immersion. As a safety precaution, welding work around the transport vehicle was completed prior to departure to prevent any untoward incident during transit.
Delayed Start Due to Technical Reasons
The procession, originally scheduled to commence at 6 AM, was delayed by a few hours owing to technical issues. Officials expedited proceedings once the welding work and vehicle inspections were completed. According to the festival organizing committee, the immersion process is targeted for completion by 2 PM.
Authorities have stationed advanced heavy-duty cranes along NTR Marg to facilitate the immersion of the towering idol, with the Khairatabad Ganesh immersion specifically scheduled to take place at Crane No. 5.
Unprecedented Security Cover
With lakhs of devotees expected to throng the procession route, Hyderabad’s police departments have implemented extensive security measures to ensure the event proceeds safely and smoothly.
An extraordinary bandobast involving approximately 45,000 police personnel has been deployed across four police commissionerates — Hyderabad, Cyberabad, Rachakonda, and the newly established Future City Commissionerate. Of these, around 1,000 officers have been specifically posted in and around Hussain Sagar, the area expected to witness the heaviest footfall.
Authorities are maintaining round-the-clock surveillance through aerial drones, ground-level CC cameras, and police patrols to monitor the massive gathering throughout the day.