20,000 Ganesh statues immersed in Hussain Sagar lake of Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Immersion of thousands of Ganesh statues in Hyderabad’s Hussain Sagar lake continued for the second consecutive day on Friday amid tight security even as the main procession ended peacefully.

An estimated 20,000 statues were immersed in the lake where the state government had installed 30 cranes and made special arrangements for the hundreds of thousands of people who watched the colourful procession.

Hyderabad city police commissioner Anjani Kumar, who supervised the massive security arrangements involving 21,000 police personnel, said the event passed without a single untoward incident. “We are thankful to the people for their cooperation in the smooth conduct of the festival”, he said.

While earlier annual procession used to be a day-long event, the increase in the number of statues coming to Hussain Sagar for immersion has now extended by one more day, affecting the flow of traffic in the heart of the city.

The procession started on Thursday afternoon as the biggest 60-foot statue from Khairatabad was the first to be immersed using the heaviest crane.

The main procession however began from Balapur in the southern suburbs of the city and it crossed the historic Charminar in old city on Thursday evening.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was among the guests who watched the procession. Addressing the procession at Moazzam Jahi Market, Bhagwat said there was a need for the Hindu society to remain united because some forces were trying to divide the country and create trouble.