Hyderabad: Khairatabad Ganesh idol’s poster unveiled

Hyderabad: For the first time, Hyderabad’s most popular and tallest Ganesh idol, the Khairatabad Ganesh, will be made out of clay and organic colours this year. The Sri Ganesh Utsav Committee, Khairatabad, on Monday unveiled a poster of the idol which will be 50-ft tall.

The 2022 avtar — Panchamukha Maha Lakshmi Ganapathy — will be flanked by the idols of Sri Trishakti Maha Gayatri Devi on one side and Sri Shanmukha Subramanya Swamy on the other. Over 150 skilled persons, comprising idol makers, carpenters and painters from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and other States, are working on the idol. The Karra puja was performed on June 10, marking the beginning of the idol-making process.

The committee members said it was for the first time that a 50-ft clay idol was being installed. “For the first time, an environment-friendly idol made of clay of such a massive size is being installed instead of a Plaster of Paris (PoP) one,” Sandeep Raj, joint secretary of the Sri Ganesh Utsav Committee, Khairatabad, said.

In 2020, a nine-ft clay idol was installed due to the Covid-19 restrictions. In 2019, the idol was 61 feet. The legacy of the Khairatabad Ganesh started in 1954 and ever since, scores of people throng the pandal. During immersion too, hundreds visit Tank Bund to have a glimpse of the imposing idol and witness the immersion ritual.

A member of the committee said the immersion would be done at Tank Bund and that the court orders regarding idol immersion pertain only to PoP idols. “This year too, elaborate arrangements will be made for a hassle-free darshan and the immersion will be held on a grand scale. The immersion will be done at Tank Bund,” S Raj Kumar, organizer of the committee, said.

Ganesh Chaturthi begins on August 31 and the immersion will be held on September 9.