Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 12 : Hyderabad Traffic Police on Friday urged devotees to use public transport and visit the iconic Bada Ganesh idol during early morning hours to avoid the rush during the 11-day Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
DCP Traffic Avinash Kumar said that a large number of visitors are expected to visit Bada Ganesh from Monday, with four entrance points arranged for devotees.
The DCP appealed to visitors to use public transport as much as possible and plan their visit during the early morning hours to avoid afternoon and evening rush.
Speaking to reporters, the DCP said, “From Monday, Ganesh Chaturthi is starting, and for the next 11 days there will be a lot of visitors coming to visit Bada Ganesh, which is an iconic Ganesh idol for Hyderabad and for all of Telangana state. There will be four entrance points. We would be requesting all the visitors to use public transport as much as possible. The darshan time would be from 6 AM to 11 PM; we would request everyone to come in the early morning as much as possible so that they can avoid the afternoon or evening rush.”
Meanwhile, the youth association in the Nagole neighbourhood in Hyderabad have constructed an eco-friendly idol of Lord Ganesha for Ganesh Chaturthi.
The Youth Association in Nagole highlighted 20 years of following the tradition with an organic, eco-friendly structure built by artisans from West Bengal and Telangana.
This year, they have constructed a 72-foot Lord Ganesha idol for Ganesh Chaturthi, taking their celebration to a notch higher.
While talking to ANI, Praneeth, a member of Tiranga Association, said, "This year, we are taking up the Vinayaka Chavithi to the next level by hosting the 72-foot eco-friendly Ganesh idol. We have been doing this event for the past 20 years, and in the last 10 years, we have been motivated to make it eco-friendly. Since COVID, we've been increasing the idol size to 9 feet. So, this year also, if you look at the idol, we made it completely eco-friendly; even the pandal where the idol is standing is completely made of wood, and the binding materials used there are also completely organic cloth. So, we are highly motivated toward eco-friendliness, and we build our Ganesh right here."
Ganesh Chaturthi is a 10-day Hindu festival celebrated to mark the birth of Lord Ganesha, who is worshipped as the deity of wisdom, prosperity and new beginnings.
The festival sees devotees install Ganesha idols at homes and public places, followed by prayers and cultural celebrations. The celebrations end with the immersion of the idols.