There was no let up in the procession of Ganesh idols of all hues and size heading to Hussainsagar even at 9 p.m. on Sunday as the surroundings of the lake were chock-o-block with crowds and an unending convoy of the fleet of multi axle open body trucks carrying the idols.
Senior police officials posted at the site expected the immersion to continue till Monday morning as only 2,000 idols were lowered in the lake and another 8,000 to 9,000 were still on the way. The idols from old city were making their way initially and more were yet to join the procession from other parts of the city.
The trucks decorated with colourful lighting and youth dancing with gay abandon on the long platform atop the wheels were lined up right behind each another. There were also thematic idols focussed on COVID. Some of them were designed showing the Lord driving the evil force away.
The procession continued even through a sharp shower in the afternoon. The blaring of music from the sound boxes fitted to the trucks and drum beat went on uninterrupted throughout the journey. Various organisations set up platforms to welcome the trucks and offered food and water to the participants.
Around 6.30 a.m. on Sunday, there was a long fleet of trucks on Basheerbagh road giving an impression that the procession had started in right earnest at daybreak. But, it turned out that the idols had left the installation points on Saturday night. Thereafter, there was a long interval till the afternoon when the actual procession scheduled for Sunday began.
The huge idol from Balapur was one of the first to leave for Hussainsagar followed by the five headed idol of Khairatabad. The laddu of Balapur idol was auctioned for ₹ 18.90 lakh. It was won by YSR Congress MLA from Kadapa district Ramesh Yadav and his business partner Marri Sashank Reddy. Mr. Yadav announced that he would gift the laddu to Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.
Hussainsagar and the adjoining Tank Bund and NTR Marg were illuminated adding to the resplendence of the lake. A large number of heavy duty cranes lined up the roads.
