Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations begin in Telangana

Hyderabad, Sept 5: The 10-day-long Ganesh Chaturthi festivities began with religious fervour in Hyderabad and across Telangana today.

The famous Khairatabad Ganesh here has been installed in the form of Shaktipeetha Sivanagendra Maha Ganapathi. Standing 58-feet tall, it is the tallest Ganesha idol in the state.

Hundreds of devotees thronged temples and pandals to seek blessings of the elephant-headed God.

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governor ESL Narasimhan along with his wife Vimala Narasimhan performed special puja at the Khairatabad Ganesh and extended their greetings to the people.

Pandals beautifully decorated with flowers have been erected at almost every nook and corner of the city and across Telangana with people also installing Ganesha idols of varying sizes at their homes.

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation officials also distributed clay idols of Lord Ganesha.

Hyderabad Police has elaborate security arrangements in place with deployment of around 20,000 police personnel to ensure that the festivities and immersion process passes off peacefully.

PTI