Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations begin in Telangana

Hyderabad, Sept 5 (PTI) The 10-day-long Ganesh Chaturthifestivities began with religious fervour in Hyderabad andacross Telangana today. The famous Khairatabad Ganesh here has been installed inthe form of Shaktipeetha Sivanagendra Maha Ganapathi. Standing58-feet tall, it is the tallest Ganesha idol in the state. Hundreds of devotees thronged temples and pandals to seekblessings of the elephant-headed God. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governor ESL Narasimhan alongwith his wife Vimala Narasimhan performed special puja at theKhairatabad Ganesh and extended their greetings to the people. Pandals beautifully decorated with flowers have beenerected at almost every nook and corner of the city and acrossTelangana with people also installing Ganesha idols of varyingsizes at their homes. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation officials alsodistributed clay idols of Lord Ganesha. Hyderabad Police has elaborate security arrangements inplace with deployment of around 20,000 police personnel toensure that the festivities and immersion process passes offpeacefully. PTI VVK MNG ZMNMNG