The annual mega event of Hyderabad, the centralised Ganesh idol immersion procession, has begun in a relaxed atmosphere.
Going by the delayed start of the small processions which would join the main procession, it is expected that the immersion would be extremely delayed this year also.
Police have stopped the processions near Mecca Masjid to facilitate the peaceful conduct of noon prayers at the historic mosque.
The centralised procession which begins from Nagulchinta near Chandrayangutta will culminate at Hussain Sagar, rechristened as Vinayak Sagar, where nearly 45,000 Ganesh idols will be immersed.
The Hyderabad police have made tightest ever possible security arrangements this year in view of the bomb blasts in Delhi. However, there is no specific intelligence inputs about a possible terror strike in Hyderabad, police asserted.
Being a Sunday, people were lined up along the procession route and by evening several lakhs of people are expected to gather at Tank Bund and Necklace road, where Government stationed more than four dozen heavy duty cranes to facilitate immersion of idols.
Three streams of major processions join the centralised procession. One coming from Malakpet side, another from Nagulchinta and the third from western side of Hyderabad via Mehdipatnam. These three streams head towards Neckalace Road and Tank Bund, while the fourth stream would reach Tank Bund from Secunderabad side.
Hundres of idols are being immersed in tanks on the city outskirts also.
