Hyderabad: This year the Telangana state government allowed installation of idols in public places. Celebrations started with pomp in Telangana. With no restrictions on the installation of Ganesh idols in public places, a large number of idols were seen being transported in trucks to different parts of Greater Hyderabad. Devotees offer prayers at their homes, temples and specially made pandals since morning. The officials appealed to the organizers of the pandals to strictly follow the COVID-19 precautionary measures like wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing. The 10-day long festival will conclude on September 19. Hundreds of idols are immersed every year in the Hussain Sagar Lake in the heart of the city and several other lakes in and around the state capital.

The Telangana High Court on Thursday directed the authorities not to allow immersion of Plaster of Paris (POP) idols in Hussain Sagar and other water bodies. Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Sundararajan and his Haryana counterpart Bandaru Dattatreya worship the famous Ganesh idol in Khairatabad. This year the organizers have installed a 40 feet tall idol. Union Culture and Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy also offered prayers in Khairatabad.

Telangana minister T. Srinivas Yadav and local MLA Danam Nagendra were among other prominent people who offered prayers at Khairatabad Ganesh. Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and his wife Shobha performed a special puja on the occasion of Vinayak Chavithi at Pragati Bhavan, the official residence of the Chief Minister. Chief minister's son and minister K.T. Rama Rao, his wife Shailima, MP Santosh Kumar, CM's grandson Himanshu, granddaughter Alekhya and others participated in the puja.

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