The much-awaited Pooja for Maha Ganapati begins today, marking a special occasion as the Khairatabad Ganesha festival celebrates its 70th anniversary. In a joyful procession, members of the Oggudolu community and Padmashalis, wearing traditional handloom scarves, made their way to offer prayers to Lord Ganesha.
This year, the grand Bada Ganesh idol stands an impressive 70 feet tall, attracting devotees from all over. Worshippers will have ten days to visit and pay their respects to the Maha Ganapati. The festival will conclude with a grand immersion ceremony on the 17th of this month. The first pooja will be held at 11 am, with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and his family expected to attend.
Later in the day, Governor Jishnu Dev Varma will also attend the celebrations, participating in the pooja at 3 pm. This year’s Khairatabad Ganesha theme is Shri Saptamukha Mahashakti Ganapati, and the idol is made entirely from eco-friendly clay, showing a commitment to protecting the environment. Even though the creation of the statue started a bit later than usual, the festival committee completed the detailed work on time, with 190 artisans contributing to the project.
Next to the enormous Ganesha idol are beautiful depictions of Srinivasa Kalyanam and Shivaparvatula Kalyanam, adding to the spiritual atmosphere. One of the highlights this year is the impressive Balaramu statue from Ayodhya, which has drawn much attention from devotees.
With growing interest in the festival, the organizing committee expects an increase in the number of visitors. Last year, 22 lakh devotees attended, but this year, they anticipate around 30 lakh people. Special arrangements have been made for the large crowds, including covered shelters to keep worshippers dry in case of rain, ensuring everyone has a comfortable and memorable experience.
