The idol of cosmic dimensions is immersed in the Hussain Sagar Lake, with the help of cranes, on the eleventh day. Two prominent Ganesh mandals belonging to the Goud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) community, which is known to be rich due to gold and silver offerings they receive, have seen a jump of over 20. The ‘immersion’ ceremony of the Khairatabad Ganesh” Puja is a wonderful spectacle. The lump sum from the auction of the Maha Laddu goes to a charitable fund. The massive 5600kg laddu is auctioned for 10 to 12 lakh INR on the eleventh day.
The 60-feet tall idol is worshiped for 11 days. Since then, it has been the grandest Ganesh Utsav in Hyderabad City. Sankarayya, who was a freedom fighter, had initiated the “Khairatabad Ganesh” puja in 1954. One of the most interesting facts about this Ganesh Puja in Hyderabad is that a laddu weighing 5600 kg is placed on the left hand of the deity during the festivity. The idol of the “Khairatabad Ganesh” is of 60 feet in height. Hyderabad’s biggest Ganesh idol at Khairatabad is the only answer to Mumbai’s boast of Ganesh Festival. Though Mumbai wins the crowning glory of being the largest hub of Ganesh Puja in India, Hyderabad does not lag behind. Ganesh Puja is the biggest festival of Maharashtra, and the grandest celebration in Mumbai. Apart from the instructions to follow social distancing norms, people have also been asked to wear masks and sanitise pandals as a precautionary measure, police said.Every year Mumbai’s celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi hits national headlines across the country. The police have urged citizens not to gather on roads during the festivities and pandals have been asked to cut down noise pollution, police said. Quick response teams, bomb disposal squads and anti- terrorism cells have been put on alert to prevent any untoward incident, police said.The police have appealed to the citizens not to crowd on the roads and to observe social distancing. Also, 167 artificial immersion sites have been set up to avoid congestion at the Chowpaties.
The government has already requested sarwajanik Ganeshotsav Mandals to keep the ganesh idols height four feet and domestic Ganesha to be under two feet.The Mumbai Police intelligence cells in co-ordination with the Anti-Terrorism Squad will keep close watch on suspicious activities, an officer said.1,000 additional policemen will be deployed for Ganpati immersion, the police said.
500 policemen will be deployed dedicated for Ganeshotsav across the city and 30 policemen at Lalbaug, the hub of Ganeshotsav in the city.