Hyderabad’s Ganesh immersion processions drew large crowds across the city on Friday, with the 69-foot Khairatabad Bada Ganesh and the Balapur Ganesh among the main attractions at Hussain Sagar, while cranes, disaster-response teams, ambulances and civic workers were deployed at immersion points.
Immersions began from around 9 am, with devotees gathering along Tank Bund to watch the processions. The Khairatabad idol’s procession started at 9.50 am after a large number of devotees arrived for a final darshan. The idol was immersed in Hussain Sagar at 2.47 pm.
The Balapur Ganesh Shobha Yatra began at around 9.37 am and travelled nearly 19 km before reaching Hussain Sagar. The idol was immersed at approximately 4.50 pm. Thousands of other idols were taken to Hussain Sagar and neighbourhood immersion points, including Saroornagar and Indira Park, through the day.
The scale of the event required a coordinated civic and emergency response. Cranes were positioned around Hussain Sagar, while disaster-response teams and ambulances were stationed at immersion locations. Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board water stalls were placed along procession routes, and crowds were asked to make way when ambulances moved through the gatherings.
Police and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation workers were deployed alongside volunteers. A civil police officer on immersion duty told The Times of India that enforcement measures had to remain in place while devotees also involved police personnel and civic workers in the celebrations.
The processions caused temporary traffic restrictions and congestion across several parts of the city. On the Tank Bund-Ranigunj route, traffic was stopped temporarily at the Tank Bund entrance when a 20-foot idol with a large crown reached the stretch. Police barricaded the route while arrangements were made to remove the crown and allow the procession to pass.
Traffic was also reported around Hussain Sagar, LB Nagar and Saroornagar. By evening, severe congestion was reported in and around Tank Bund, Abids, Khairatabad, Lakdikapul, the Old City and Nampally. Several junctions experienced long queues, with commuters facing difficulty navigating the routes amid limited traffic personnel in some areas.
The public response extended beyond the principal processions. Families walked long distances to watch the idols, while visitors also travelled to immersion points even when their local apartment or neighbourhood celebrations had concluded earlier. Crowds were thinner at smaller ponds, but immersion activity continued there through the day.
The arrangements also highlighted the city’s use of decentralised immersion points. Some residents reported immersing clay idols at home or completing local immersions earlier in the festival, while still visiting major sites to watch the city’s largest processions.
As evening approached, processions continued to move through the city and activity intensified around Tank Bund. Civic and police deployments remained focused on managing crowds, supporting emergency movement and enabling the remaining immersions to proceed.
