Khairatabad Maha Ganapathi festival begins with Governor’s puja, devotees brave rain

Hyderabad: The annual Khairatabad Ganesh festivities began on Wednesday with grandeur as Governor Jishnu Dev Varma led the inaugural puja to the 69-foot Maha Ganapathi idol. Devotees began arriving from early morning, braving continuous rain to offer prayers.

The Utsav Committee greeted the Governor with a traditional purnakumbham welcome. Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, MLA Danam Nagender, and other Congress leaders joined the opening rituals.

Khairatabad Ganesh festivities draw huge turnout amid heavy rain

This year’s idol, named Sri Vishwashanti Maha Ganapathi, stands 69 feet tall and 28 feet wide. Organisers placed Goddess Sri Vasavi Kanyaka Parameshwari on the right side of the idol, and local deity Gajjalamma on the left.

Devotees formed long queues early in the day, eager to catch a glimpse of the towering idol. Officials deployed teams to manage queues and control traffic in the Khairatabad area, which expects lakhs of visitors over the next 11 days.

In one dramatic moment, Reshma, a pregnant woman from Rajasthan, went into labour while waiting for darshan. Medical staff rushed her to a nearby health centre, where doctors confirmed that both mother and baby were healthy.

The Khairatabad Ganesh remains one of the tallest idols in the country for Vinayaka Chavithi. It draws large crowds not just from Telangana but from neighbouring states as well. Despite persistent rainfall, organisers noted that turnout on the first day remained strong.