Hyderabad is currently experiencing the Mumbai culture of ‘Shri Ganesh Aagaman’ as devotees welcome their favorite deity with colorful processions and beautiful illuminations even before Ganesh Chaturthi begins. Organizers in the city are leading large processions to welcome Bappa into their pandals and devote themselves to the festival for the next ten days. In the past, the focus was on immersion, but in recent years, the Aagaman of Ganapati has become a new trend in the city.
Areas like Ramnagar, Asifnagar, Mallepally, Secunderabad, Gowlipura, and Begum Bazar have witnessed these colorful Aagaman processions over the past week as Bappa arrives at the pandals. Gogikar Shlok from the Blue Star Friends Association in Secunderabad mentioned that they start planning for the next year’s idol and procession right after the immersion. They feel blessed to have Bappa as part of their daily lives.
Pandal organizers noted that Mumbaikars have a special way of celebrating festivals, and the Aagaman trend is becoming popular in Hyderabad as well. K Adarsh Kumar, another pandal organizer, mentioned that just like lakhs of devotees bid adieu to Ganesh on the final day, they also participate in welcoming Bappa. The best part of the festival, according to Adarsh, is the procession on the last day. They plan everything in advance and everyone contributes without insisting on donations. The satisfaction comes from people taking pictures and videos of their troupe.
After witnessing Aagaman processions over the past fortnight, Hyderabad will now immerse itself in devotion for the next ten days with programs like ‘Samuhik Aarti’, ‘prasadam’, and Annadanam during the festival.
