Khairatabad Ganesh set to attract over 70,000 visitors in Hyderabad | Hyderabad News
Hyderabad: The Khairatabad Ganesh Aagaman drew around 15,000 people this year, marking a sharp rise from the estimated 5,000-10,000 who turned up for the event last year. With the Ganesh festival now underway, organisers are expecting the pandal to attract over 70,000 visitors over the course of the festivities.“Last year, around 5,000 to 10,000 people came for the Aagaman. This year, the turnout was around 15,000. We are expecting more than 70,000 visitors during the festivities and have made arrangements keeping the crowd in mind,” said Sandeep Raj of the Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav Samithi.Across Hyderabad, preparations for the festival and immersion have also been stepped up, with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) focusing on road repairs, barricading, lighting, parking and sanitation. Cranes have been positioned at immersion points, while additional sanitation staff and machinery, mobile toilets and drinking water arrangements are being provided. Police, HYDRAA and other departments are coordinating through a control room for the procession and immersion.This year’s Aagaman crowds are part of a broader trend of larger-scale celebrations across the city. Among the elaborate idols is a 35-inch Panchadhatu Ganesh studded with 3,83,800 American diamonds and finished with 24-carat gold plating. The idol took eight months to make, with seven craftsmen spending 48 days on stone-setting.At Kothapet’s Ashtalakshmi Devalayam, meanwhile, preparations are underway for the annual Abhaya Ganapathi abhishekam on September 23, when priests will use 108 silver kalashas for the ritual. The practice has been followed at the temple for around three decades.The priests will first perform puja to the 108 kalashas before using the sanctified water for the abhishekam, followed by milk, curd, sugar, turmeric and kumkum. The kalashas are owned by the temple and used for its pujas. Devotees can watch the ritual, while only priests perform it. A puja-area booking costs Rs 1,116.“The 108 kalashas are part of a ritual we have been following for many years. Devotees can participate by booking the puja area and witness the abhishekam,” said temple chairperson Shravan Kumar.SHE Teams to step up vigil at busy Ganesh pandalsSHE Teams will step up their presence at busy Ganesh pandals across the city to monitor women’s safety amid festival crowds. According to Hyderabad Women’s Safety Wing DCP Lavanya Nair, the number of teams deployed will vary based on crowd size and footfall, with 11 to 30 teams likely to be deployed during peak hours. Police have identified the busiest pandals as hotspots, with the Khairatabad Ganesh pandal among the key locations where additional teams will be stationed. The teams will work alongside regular law-and-order police and other personnel deployed for the festivities. Deployment will be adjusted throughout the festival period based on crowd movement and requirements at individual locations.25,000 personnel to keep vigil during festivitiesAround 25,000 police personnel will be deployed across Hyderabad for security and crowd management during the Ganesh festivities. Personnel will be stationed at major pandals and other identified hotspots, with additional deployment along key procession and immersion routes. Police arrangements will focus on regulating large gatherings, managing traffic and ensuring the smooth movement of devotees and processions. Quick response teams and other specialised units will be deployed at strategic locations to respond to emergencies and other incidents. Security will be intensified at locations expected to draw large crowds, while police personnel will maintain a vigil along procession routes and during immersion-related activities. Regular law-and-order teams will be supported by specialised units as part of the overall festival security plan.
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