Khairatabad Iconic Ganesh Fest Donations Cross Rs 1 Crore For First Time In 70 Years

A member of the Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav Samiti said that it collected about Rs 40 lakh through advertisements and Rs 70 lakh through Hundi funding. Donations made through the UPI payment portal were yet to be added up, the member clarified. The funds collected were disclosed to the public for the first time in 70 years.

Hyderabad: Donations for the 70-foot-tall Khairatabad Ganesh, which attracted a huge crowd over the weekend, have topped Rs 1 crore, and counting, Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav Committee organisers said.

"We collected about Rs 40 lakh through advertisements while hundi offerings amounted to an impressive Rs. 70 lakh. Donations made through the UPI payment portal were yet to be added up," an organiser said.

In a first for the 70-year-old association, the Hundi funds collected through donations were disclosed to the public. Also, the counting of donations was done under strict vigil (CCTV surveillance). As per the committee that was in charge of conducting the festivities, this considerable sum was raised in just 10 days.

Weekend Celebrations:Owing to the long weekend, a huge trail of devotees was observed at the Khairatabad Ganesh idol on Sunday to seek blessings. People travelled from the city and nearby areas to get a glimpse of their adorable Ganesha. Former Minister Harish Rao also paid a visit to the Khairatabad Ganapati.

Security Measures:Hyderabad police tightened security in the region to control massive crowds. Darshan was suspended on Monday to get ready for the idol's immersion on September 17, the organisers said.

Immersion Programme: The grand procession (Shobhayatra) of Khairatabad Ganesha will commence at 7 AM on Tuesday. Bojja Ganapayya is set to traverse the Telugu Talli Flyover en route to the Tank Bund. Heavy police presence has been ensured to facilitate the smooth conduct of the procession.

History of Khairatabad Ganesh: The tradition goes back to the time when freedom fighter Shankaraiah first built a simple pandal here with a one-foot-tall statue to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in 1954. Since then, Bappa has been worshipped here every year. The idol's height increased by one foot year as the years went by, reaching a height of 60 feet in 2014.

Balapur Laddu Auction Highlights:The auction of the Ganesh laddu here dates back to 1994, when a local farmer, Kolan Mohan Reddy, purchased it for Rs 450. The 2023 auction witnessed intense competition, with bidders required to deposit advance cash to participate.

Last year, the auction set a record with Rs. 27 lakhs, and this year, it is expected to fetch around Rs. 30 lakhs, with non-local Dasari Dayanand Reddy being the top contender. The money collected from the auction is used for various developmental activities in the villages.

Ganesh Visarjan 2024:An estimated one lakh idols have been set up for worship this year in the city. The Telangana government has made elaborate arrangements for the immersion of the idols.

The 'Shobha Yatra' of the 70 ft-tall Ganesh statue of the famous pandal at Khairatabad here, a major attraction during the Ganesh Chaturthi in the Telangana capital, also began on Tuesday morning and the immersion of the giant statue in the Hussain Sagar lake is likely to take place by noon.

The auction of the laddus offered as 'prasad' in the pandals is another attraction in the festivities. Procuring the laddu in the auction is believed to bring prosperity to the successful bidder.

Media reports said the laddu 'prasadam' at a pandal at Bandlaguda Jagir has auctioned for a whopping Rs 1.87 crore.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday held a review with senior officials, including police, on the arrangements for the immersion and directed that special supervision be made at the Tank Bund of Hussain Sagar Lake and other water bodies, an official release said.

At the meeting, the police officials told the CM that the immersion in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits would be supervised with 733 CCTV cameras.