48-hour Ganesh immersion procession concludes in Hyderabad
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Devotees take part in procession with idols of the Lord Ganesha in Hyderabad on Saturday. | Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G
The Ganesh immersion procession in Hyderabad concluded on Saturday afternoon, bringing to an end a 48-hour operation that saw lakhs of devotees throng the city’s central stretches and more than 28,000 police personnel deployed for security and crowd management.
City Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar said the immersion festivities concluded peacefully, with the final phase stretching well into Saturday after the heavy turnout of devotees slowed the movement of idols towards Hussainsagar.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar monitoring the Ganesh immersion process near Tank Bund. | Photo Credit: Arrangement
The immersion process had been slightly delayed as lakhs of people, many accompanied by their families, gathered around Tank Bund, NTR Marg, Necklace Road, Liberty and Moazzam Jahi Market. Traffic restrictions consequently remained in place along the main procession routes on Saturday until the remaining idols were cleared.
The Commissioner said preparations for the festival had begun three months in advance, while coordination with various government departments and other stakeholders had been underway for the past two months.
According to the officer, approximately 30 lakh devotees visited the Khairatabad Bada Ganesh during the festival, while about 15 lakh offered prayers at the Balapur Ganesh. He said there had been an increase in both the number of idols and the turnout of devotees this year.
The Khairatabad and Balapur Ganesh idols were immersed ahead of time with the cooperation of their respective festival committees. However, some other pandal organisers began their journeys late, contributing to the procession stretching into Saturday.
Joint inspections of the procession route from Balapur to Hussainsagar had been conducted with festival committees and officials from different government departments. Police also used technology to monitor the procession, while officials worked from the TGICCC Multi-Agency War Room to address problems arising on the ground.
The Commissioner said coordination among the police, GHMC, Revenue, Electricity, RTA, HMDA and other agencies was crucial to managing the event. Cranes deployed along Tank Bund, NTR Marg and Necklace Road and traffic diversions across the procession stretches formed part of the final 48-hour operation.
Over the two days, the Commissioner travelled on a motorcycle along several procession stretches, including Tank Bund, Basheerbagh, Liberty, Ambedkar Statue, Telugu Talli Flyover, M.J. Market, Nampally, Gandhi Bhavan and Nizam College Junction, inspecting arrangements and interacting with personnel deployed on the ground.
While describing the immersion as peaceful, the Commissioner also flagged several issues that police intend to address before next year’s festival.
The use of paper shower cannons during processions had left large quantities of paper on roads, creating a skidding hazard for two-wheelers when it rained, he said. Police would bring the issue to the government’s notice and seek a ban on such devices from next year.
Waste left behind after food distribution during the festivities would also be regulated, he said. He also expressed concern over instances of drunk driving and what he described as obscene dancing by a few individuals. Police plan to hold advance meetings with festival committees and idol makers ahead of the 2027 festivities to create awareness about idol height restrictions, security standards and discipline.
“A detailed debriefing of this year’s operation will now be conducted, with police planning to use lessons from the exercise to begin preparations for the 2027 Ganesh festival,” concluded the officer.
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