Hyderabad: Ganesh immersions continued into the 13th day on Saturday, with kilometres of decorated trailers, dancing devotees and chants filling the roads around Hussainsagar. Larger idols made their way towards the lake on trailers decked with flowers, lights and colourful decorations, while music blared from sound systems. Devotees climbed onto the trailers, with some wearing Ganesha masks, and danced beside the idols as they chanted “Jai Bolo Ganesh Maharaj Ki Jai”, while waiting for their turn at the immersion points. Families carrying smaller idols were also seen making their way towards the lake, adding to the steady stream of devotees.For some, the final procession meant staying awake through the night. “I have been awake for more than 48 hours,” said R Nithin, who was accompanying his group, adding that the exhaustion hardly mattered as they wanted to be present for Bappa’s final journey of the year. A group of women walking barefoot towards the immersion point said they follow the practice every year on the final day. “For us, this is an annual ritual. Going without footwear with ‘aarti thalis’ prepared for final pooja is part of our devotion during the visarjan,” they said.Elsewhere, groups of youngsters turned the long wait into their own celebration, dancing in circles beside their trailers while passers-by stopped to watch the idols slowly make their way towards the lake. Many devotees gathered along the barricades to take one last photograph with the Ganesha idol before the immersion.The celebrations did, however, put pressure on traffic around the immersion zone. “The stretch from Khairatabad Metro towards Secretariat, which normally takes me only a few minutes, took more than 40 minutes amid diversions and heavy traffic,” saidTejas, who frequently uses the stretch. The road remained closed, while Necklace Road saw slow-moving traffic and diversions. Indira Park and Lower Tank Bund were also closed for immersion arrangements. Traffic on several central stretches eased later in the day.As traffic elsewhere gradually returned to normal, Hussainsagar remained wrapped in festivities. Even the police, who had spent hours managing the crowds and processions, joined the celebrations. After a press meet at the Secretariat, police officials danced to the music, with CP VC Sajjanar also joining them briefly.
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