B Srinivas reddy
srinivasred84@gmail.com
For the first time ever, the popular ‘Hyderabad ka Raja’ and also known as Khairatabad Ganesh idol, will be 70 feet in height this year and will be made of clay and eco-friendly materials.
To mark the 70th year of the Sri Ganesh Utsav Committee, Khairatabad (SGUC), this year the Ganesh idol will be 70 feet high. The installation of the first Ganesh idol here was in 1954.
Last year, the SGUC set a new record with a 63-foot tall clay idol weighing 45 to 50 tonnes. This year, Ganesh Chaturthi falls on September 7.
Ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, the iconic Khairatabad clay Ganesh idol is set to steal the show with its grandeur.
Speaking to The Pioneer, Sandeep Raj, Secretary of the Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav Committee, said, “This year’s centerpiece will be Sri Saptamukha Maha Shakti Ganapathi, featuring seven faces, seven snakes and 14 hands.”
“The construction of the eco-friendly idol is expected to cost Rs 90 lakh, with over 100 artisans from Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh working on the project. “We’re about to start painting works within 2-3 days,” Raj said.
“To make it more attractive, Sri Srinivasa Kalyanam idols and Sri Shiva Parvathula Kalyanam idols will be built besides the tallest Ganesh idol,” Sandeep added.
The Khairatabad Ganesh is also known for its jumbo-sized laddu, offered as prasadam. Till 2009, the Ganesh Utsav committee used to place a 50 kg laddu at the pandal. Starting from 2010 until 2015, the laddu was offered by PVVS Mallikarjun Rao, from Tapeswaram, a village located in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. But this time the committee members ordered a 25kg laddu from Tapeswaram.
