A helicopter hovering over a Ganesh idol is not an everyday sight, even in a city that goes all out for its biggest festival. On September 24, as an immersion procession wound its way towards the Hussainsagar, the six-seater Airbus H125 showered the idol with flower petals from above. It was a fleeting spectacle, but one that involved considerable logistical arrangements and expense. And it was only a small part of the elaborate machinery that keeps Hyderabad’s Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations running.

Behind the towering idols, elaborate pandals and processions that stretch late into the night lies an economy of its own. Idol-makers, decorators, sound operators, transporters, crane companies, caterers and scores of workers find business in the festival while organisers marshal donations and sponsorships to pay for the spectacle.

The flower shower was organised by Hanuman Youth Association, which installed an idol in Bowrampet.

“An aviation agent contacted me for parking space for the helicopter. It was to arrive from Bengaluru, shower petals on the second day and leave on the third. Since the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and Begumpet Airport charge a lot, they looked at my aerofarm as a parking spot,” says P.R. Singh, owner of Singh Aerofarm in Sangareddy and a retired Indian Air Force squadron leader.

Mr. Singh estimates that the operation, including the related arrangements, could have cost the organisers around ₹20 lakh.

Crunching the numbers

There is no single account book for Ganesh Chaturthi in Hyderabad. The Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi (BGUS) estimates that the festival generates ₹6,000 crore to ₹7,000 crore in economic activity in the city.

BGUS general secretary R. Shashidhar says the festival provides direct employment to around two lakh families and indirect employment to another 4.5 lakh people. Other estimates put the economic activity at upwards of ₹10,000 crore when months of preparation are factored in.

Read |Immersion procession of Khairatabad Ganesh idol in Hyderabad passes off without a hitch

The money flows from organisers to idol-makers, tent-house operators, decorators, lighting contractors, transporters, sound-system providers, bands, flower sellers, caterers and other workers. Expenditure ranges from a few thousand rupees to several lakhs, beginning well before the idol reaches the mandap.

According to Telangana Police, around 1.24 lakh Ganesh idols were registered on the State’s Ganesh portal this year. This figure covers all of Telangana, not just Hyderabad. Director General of Police C.V. Anand says the actual number across the State could range from 3.5 lakh to 4 lakh if idols installed in homes, apartments and other private premises were included.

Expenditure varies with the scale of the celebrations. A small neighbourhood mandap may spend relatively little on the idol, structure and decoration, while a large one can incur costs running into several lakhs on the pandal, lighting, flowers, manpower and other arrangements.

At Balapur, one of Hyderabad’s best-known Ganesh celebrations, the committee spent around ₹98 lakh on the festival last year, says Kalyan Niranjan Reddy, chairman of the Balapur Ganesh Utsava Samithi. The amount covered the idol, workers, flowers, decoration and pandal arrangements. The committee is yet to complete its accounts for this year.

Mr. Reddy says around ₹30 lakh to ₹40 lakh was collected through chanda (contributions). The remainder came from other donations, advertisements and sponsorships. The procession adds to these expenses, creating another stream of business for transporters, sound operators and other service providers.

At Balapur, the 21-foot idol required a heavy vehicle, says Kalyan Reddy. The vehicle, driver and diesel together cost around ₹40,000.

The expense generates business for transporters, vehicle owners, drivers and workers involved in loading and securing the idol. At major immersion points, cranes and other equipment are also needed to lower idols into the water.

The next bill is often heard before it is seen. For a small mandap, a basic speaker arrangement can cost around ₹5,000 to ₹6,000, while a DJ setup can cost around ₹15,000 for eight hours, says Hyderabad-based sound-system operator Mohammed Saber Hussain.

“Usually, DJs and sound operators have an eight-hour booking period because that is considered the industry standard,” he explains. The actual amount depends on the size of the system, the equipment hired and the duration.

Larger packages combining sound boxes, truss structures, lighting and DJ equipment can cost up to ₹75,000. Hussain says he also received a booking worth ₹2 lakh during this year’s festival season. Packages vary according to the equipment hired, while the customer bears generator and diesel costs.

Traditional performers also find business during the festival. Marfa bands charged around ₹20,000 to ₹40,000 for performances this year, with popular troupes commanding ₹50,000 to ₹60,000 on immersion day.

Unlike many Hyderabad processions, the Balapur Ganesh Utsava Samithi does not hire DJs. It has followed the tradition of playing bhajans on immersion day since the 1980s. Yet its total festival expenditure was around ₹98 lakh last year, reflecting the cumulative cost of the many arrangements that go into the celebrations.

Prasadam adds another layer of spending, covering ingredients, cooking, packaging, transport and distribution, says Shashidhar. At a large mandap, food distributed to thousands of devotees over several days can add up to a substantial bill, even when the per-person cost is modest.

Beyond the obvious

The expenditure extends beyond the organisers to the government, which provides electricity and deploys personnel and equipment for immersion arrangements.

This year, the Telangana Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TGSPDCL) supplied free electricity to 51,207 registered Ganesh idols and pandals across its 21 circles, with a sanctioned connected load of 1.12 lakh kW.

The government’s estimated expenditure this year was ₹17.8 crore, up from ₹15.59 crore in 2025-26, when 47,649 pandals received free power.

Public spending also covers the personnel and infrastructure needed to manage the celebrations. Power utility staff worked round the clock to monitor feeders, transformers, lighting and emergency arrangements, particularly at major immersion points.

Anand says more than 25,000 police personnel were deployed in Hyderabad for immersion arrangements over the 10-day festival period. Cranes, barricades, traffic management, sanitation, lighting, emergency services and waste removal add to the logistical costs.

The scale of the immersion operation is evident in the cranes deployed along major routes.

Syed Faraz and Syed Ausaf, owners of Super Cranes, which participates in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s (GHMC) immersion operations, says 10 cranes were deployed at NTR Marg and 12 at People’s Plaza. Their capacities varied according to the size and weight of the idols.

GHMC norms require cranes with a minimum capacity of 50 tonnes, they point out. “The Khairatabad Ganesh idol required a much larger machine for immersion: a SANY SAC 3000 crane with a capacity of 300 to 350 tonnes, an 80-metre main boom and 100 tonnes of counterweights,” says Faraz.

Transporting the crane requires at least three 40-foot trailers, accompanied by a signal-flag vehicle to guide the convoy through narrow roads and sharp turns. The six-axle crane has 12 tyres and may require traffic management even before reaching the immersion site, the owners say. “Moving such a machine to an immersion site is itself a logistical operation.”

Each crane requires five skilled workers and a skilled rigger for safe lifting operations, with one supervisor deployed for every five cranes. Workers are provided orange jerseys and identity cards at the immersion sites.

Unlike private bookings by Ganesh committees, the immersion crane operations are awarded through the GHMC tender process. The contract runs for 12 days, with 12-hour shifts during the first eight days and 24-hour shifts thereafter.

Operators inspect sites six to seven days before deployment, assessing the idol’s weight and height, lifting radius and other conditions to determine the required crane capacity and commercial terms.

Super Cranes executed the GHMC work in association with other crane operators deployed at various immersion points.

Laddu auction and local causes

If the festival has an economy of expenditure, it also has an economy of transactions that can be difficult to explain in ordinary terms.

Balapur’s famous 21-kg Ganesh laddu fetched a record ₹39 lakh at auction this year. Sama Praneeth Reddy of Urban Realty Group won the bid, surpassing last year’s ₹35 lakh. Nine participants had registered for the auction, including representatives of five companies, while one bidder participated from London.

At Keerthi Richmond Villas in Bandlaguda Jagir, a 5-kg Ganesh laddu fetched ₹1.01 crore this year, compared with ₹2.31 crore last year. Despite weighing a quarter as much as Balapur’s laddu, it fetched more than twice the latter’s auction price. Such bids illustrate how the value attached to the laddu can far exceed its production cost.

In both cases, the auction proceeds are separate from festival expenditure and generally go towards community development, welfare or other local causes.

There is no price tag on the festival itself. But almost every part of putting it together — from installing an idol to lowering it into the lake — comes at a cost. Together, these expenses, along with the businesses, jobs and transactions the festival generates, form an economy that runs alongside the celebrations.

A glimpse of the 69-feet Khairatabad Ganesh idol, made using 30 tonnes of natural river clay blended with locally available sand from Hyderabad, a day ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi, in Hyderabad on September 13, 2026.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

A divine aroma of flowers, fresh banana leaves, and steaming jaggery filled the air across Tamil Nadu on Monday, as millions of families brought home clay idols of Lord Ganesha to mark Vinayaka Chaturthi.

From bustling home pujas to grand heritage temple rituals and towering neighborhood pandals, the state resonated with chants of “Pillayar” – the most affectionate and commonly used Tamil name for Ganesh, and devotional music.

The devotees queued at dawn outside the state’s iconic shrines for special Maha Abhishekams and elaborate floral adornments (Alankarams).

At the historic Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Chennai, festivities began with a early-morning Ganapathy Homam. The Narthana Vinayagar idol was anointed with holy water, milk, sandalwood, and honey before being dressed in a glittering gold kavacham (armor), drawing thousands to the flower-lined Mada streets.

In Madurai, the spotlight fell on the colossal 7-foot monolithic Mukkuruni Vinayakar inside the renowned Sri Meenakshi Sundareshwar Temple. Continuing centuries-old traditions, the temple priests prepared and offered a single, massive ‘Mukkuruni Kozhukattai’ – sweet rice-flour dumpling – on the occasion.

Adding to the joy, devotees and temple priests welcomed Durga, a five-year-old elephant who made her festive debut with a grand flower-showering ceremony. She was relocated from Assam recently. The temple takes care of an older resident elephant named Parvathi.

Thousands of devotees climbed 417 steep steps to reach the 7th-century Ucchi Pillayar Temple in Tiruchirappalli, located atop the 273-foot Rockfort. The hill-top shrine launched its 14-day Peruvizha festival, kicking off celebrations by offering a mammoth 25 kg Kozhukattai to the deity.

Chennai too joined the festival celebrations with traditional devotion blended seamlessly with local pop culture. Neighborhood pandals across Triplicane, Mylapore, and other parts of Chennai unveiled eye-catching idols showcasing creative themes ranging from mythological epics to popular cinema characters.

At Eral in Tuticorin district, the devotees put up a replica of the Tirupparankundram temple deepathoon (stone pillar) with Ganesh lighting the lamp, expressing the devotees wish to light the Karthigai deepam atop the ancient deepathoon at the controversial site near a Dargah.

At Puliakulam in Coimbatore, special poojas and alankaras marked the Chaturthi festival at the Sri Arulmigu Mundhi Vinayagar temple where the deity of the Lord is 19 feet 10 inches high, 11 feet 10 inches wide, and weighs a monumental 190 tonnes. The idol is made out of a monolithic granite stone.

The deity was decorated with 50 kg sandalwood paste on the occasion.

A temple elephant joined the procession taken out as part of the Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations in Rameswaram.

In Cuddalore, a 74 kg laddu Vinayagar was consecrated at a sweet shop while a section of devotees in Thenkanikottai installed a grand Vinayakar stage based on the movie Kantara-2 as theme.

An idol of Ganesh made with 51,000 rudraksha beads in Tiruvannamalai was also among the numerous attractions this year.

As part of the public celebrations, the Hindu Munnani commenced the installation of about 1.5 lakh Ganesha idols statewide following morning Sthapana rituals. In Chennai alone, 5,501 public installations took place across Valluvar Kottam, Triplicane, North Chennai, and Kottivakkam areas.

Organisers confirmed that public idols, crafted primarily by traditional artisans in Ernavur, strictly utilised eco-friendly natural materials in compliance with environmental regulations.

To maintain public order and safeguard the coastal ecosystem, the Greater Chennai Police deployed 16,500 personnel alongside 500 Home Guards to oversee the 1,562 officially approved public idols in the capital.

The grand immersion processions (Visarjan) are scheduled for the upcoming weekend, peaking on September 19 and 20. Following directives from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to protect marine ecology, traditional drop-offs at Pattinapakkam and Neelankarai beaches remain restricted. Instead, authorities have mapped out 17 strict procession routes leading to designated water bodies including Kasimedu Fishing Harbour (North Chennai), Thiruvottriyur (Behind the weighing machine), and Srinivasapuram.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and leaders of various political parties greeted the people on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi on Monday.

Published – September 14, 2026 04:50 pm IST

A glimpse of the 69-feet Khairatabad Ganesh idol, made using 30 tonnes of natural river clay blended with locally available sand from Hyderabad, a day ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi, in Hyderabad on September 13, 2026.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

More than 37,000 idols of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Gauri were immersed in water bodies across Mumbai.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

More than 37,000 idols of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Gauri were immersed in water bodies across Mumbai by Wednesday (September 18, 2024) morning as devotees bade farewell to their favourite elephant-headed deity with the conclusion of the festival, officials said.

The immersion processions, which began on Tuesday (September 17) morning on the last day of the Ganesh festival, continued smoothly throughout the night, with devotees thronging the city’s beaches, lakes, and artificial ponds for immersion of the idols.

The idol of Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh — which like every year drew lakhs of devotees — was immersed into the Arabian Sea off the Girgaon beach in south Mumbai around 10.30 a.m.. Thousands of devotees made a beeline to catch the last glimpse of the deity.

Chinchpoklicha Chintamani, another famous Ganesh mandal from Lalbaug, and idols of a few other groups were also brought to the beach for immersion.

Immersion took place at artificial ponds as well as Girgaon, Dadar, Juhu, Marve, and Aksa beaches, among other spots in the megapolis.

“By 6 am on Wednesday, a total of 37,064 idols of Lord Ganesh and Gauri were immersed in various water bodies across Mumbai. These include 5,762 idols of ‘sarvajanik’ (community groups). Of the total, 11,713 idols were immersed in the artificial ponds set up across the city,” a civic official said.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had made elaborate arrangements for the immersion by deploying thousands of personnel, lifeguards and emergency services to ensure that the processions pass off smoothly and safely.

The festival began on September 7 and culminated on September 17.

More than 24,000 police personnel were deployed on Mumbai streets for security and crowd management.

The State Reserve Police Force, Quick Response Teams, Riot Control Police, Home Guards, and Maharashtra Security Force have also been roped in, officials said.

Mumbai:

As Mumbai celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi, the Raut Galli neighbourhood of Dahisar, a tiny hamlet of fishermen, welcomed its Ganesha idol, set up by three friends Sohel Malik – a Muslim, Oswald Gonsalves – a Catholic, and Jignesh Patel – a Hindu.

The three friends had not celebrated any festival on a grand scale in the past due to financial constraints. But they always wanted to bring people together in a festival that’s synonymous with the city. So they decided to do it on Ganesh Chaturthi this year, in which Lord Ganesha is worshipped as the god of new beginnings and the remover of obstacles.

“The planning was on since Covid-19 lockdown. It took us so long because some of our friends did not have a job, and we did not feel good asking them about this. We let everyone settle first and then decided to hold this,” Mr Gonsalves told NDTV.

This inter-community Ganesha festival has become a popular attraction, drawing people from all walks of life.

“I took care of the idol. Mr Patel took care of logistics and vargani (donations). The mandap (pandal) and decoration was all taken care of by Mr Gonsalves,” Mr Malik said.

“People here are together in happiness and sadness. If anything good is happening, you may see a few people showing up, but if something bad happens, everyone will turn up for you,” Mr Patel said.

Ganeshotsav, which started with Ganesh Chaturthi on September 7, is one of the biggest festivals in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.

During the 10-day Ganpati festival, devotees usually bid an emotional farewell to the idols of their beloved deity after one-and-a-half days, five days, and seven days.

The final immersion process is held on the last day (Anant Chaturdashi), which will take place on September 17 this year.

New Delhi:

The iconic festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganesh Utsav, has started in full swing nationwide. This year’s celebration will take place over 10 days from September 6 to September 17. 

As devotees celebrate the auspicious occasion with boundless joy in several cities, including Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Surat, and Delhi, here’s a glimpse of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations across India:

Lord Ganesha is worshipped as the “Lord of Beginnings” and the “Remover of Obstacles”.

In honor of the celebration, people decorate their houses with Lord Ganesha idols, hold fasts, cook delicious food, and visit pandals.

In Mumbai, around 15,000 police personnel are deployed on the streets for the next ten days to provide security during the festival.

Lakhs of devotees visit some of the popular pandals such as ‘Lalbaugcha Raja’ during the auspicious occasion.

Devotees also prepare extravagant sweets to offer to Lord Ganesha during the 10-day festival.  

The festival will end when the Lord Ganesha idol is carried in a public procession and immersed (visarjan) in the sea on the day of Anant Chaturdashi on 17th September this year.

Mumbai:

One person died and another person was severely injured after a speeding car hit two workers, Mumbai police confirmed on Saturday.

Two workers of Mulund Cha Raja Ganpati Mandal were hit by a speeding car on Saturday early morning at 4 AM, leading to one person dying and another person being in critical condition. The incident happened on the second day of Ganesh Chaturthi. The police are investigating the matter

According to the police, Navghar police have registered a case and are searching for the driver.

“Two workers of Mulund Cha Raja Ganpati Mandal were hit by a speeding car, one died and one is in critical condition. The incident happened at 4:00 am. Police have registered a case and are searching for the car driver,” said a statement by Mumbai Police.

More details on the case are awaited.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A government school teacher in Tripura has made a Lord Ganesha idol with syringes to mark Ganesh Chaturthi festivities. Samiran Dey aims to spread awareness against drug abuse in the state.

Mr Dey, who has been making idols for the last 25 years, tries to deliver a social message through his work.

Amid the rise in the usage of drugs among youngsters, Mr Dey came up with the idea to make a Lord Ganesha idol with syringes. 

The school teacher has added the text “Say No to Drugs” to the idol.

Talking about his work, Samiran Dey said, “I have been associated with idol-making for the last 25 years. Every time I want to give some social message through my work. This time I have decided to give the social message on the ill effects of drugs among young generations.”

He added, “It has been seen that many young generations are spoiling their future after they get trapped in drug addiction. Through my work, I want to generate awareness among the young generations.”

“The young people should know how drugs have been affecting their lives and society. It has also been seen that if anyone in a family has been consuming drugs, the whole family has to suffer. I’ve chosen this social message “Say No to Drugs” to create awareness, particularly among the youths because youths are the future of tomorrow,” Mr Dey continued.

This news about social messages came after Tripura chief minister Dr Manik Saha recently informed that in the last three years, a total of 2,131 people were arrested under the cases related to Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) in the state.

In the past eight years, the country has witnessed a 70 per cent rise in narcotic consumption, and around 100 million substance addicts are present in India. The rising drug abuse in the country is also considered one of the reasons for the increase in crime.

Mumbai:

Mumbai is steeped in devotion to welcome the annual homecoming of Lord Ganesh as the 10-day festival began on Tuesday with decorations in pandals and houses getting final touches.

A total of 2,729 ‘sarvajanik Ganeshotsav mandals’ have been permitted to organise public Ganesh festivities by erecting ‘pandals’, the city civic body said on Monday.

Preparations for the festival have been completed by conducting a special drive that included checking pandal premises, idol immersion routes and spots.

To maintain security during the festival that sees lakhs of people visiting pandals in ten days, more than 13,750 police personnel have been deployed in the city, an official said.

They comprise 11,726 constables, 2,024 officers from the rank of sub-inspector to the assistant commissioner and 15 deputy commissioners, he said on Monday.

Notifications issued by the traffic police listed several moves for a smooth flow of vehicles in the metropolis, including a ban on heavy vehicles on certain days.

“There will be a ban on the operation of private buses and heavy vehicles in South Mumbai on September 21,24,26 and 29. Between September 19 to 29, all types of heavy vehicles are allowed to operate between midnight and 7 AM, except September 21,24,26 and 29 in South Mumbai,” the official said.

Immersion day (September 28) will see a larger presence of police on the ground and manpower details being chalked out, the official informed.

Ganesh festivities are the most patronised in Mumbai, with idols of Lord Ganesh being installed in pandals and at homes.

From the launch of Chandrayaan-3 to Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir, Ganesh mandals in Mumbai have gone all out with the themes for the pandals.

Mumbaikars have been thronging the popular shopping spots of the city at Dadar, Crawford Market, and Lohar Chawl, to buy decor items, flowers, and puja materials among other festival paraphernalia.

People are in for a visual treat this year, as the city’s Ganesh mandals have come up with fascinating thematic decorations for their pandals.

Pandal-hoppers will get to see themes of the Chandrayaan-3 launch, Ayodhya Ram Temple, and the 350th anniversary of the coronation of warrior-king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, showcased by big mandals or pandals in the city.

While a majority of the big mandals have already brought their idols to the pandals in grand processions over the last few weeks, household ‘bappas’ will make their way home to the beat of drums and happy chants on Tuesday.

A large number of devotees are expected to visit Lalbaug in central Mumbai to catch a glimpse of Lalbaugcha Raja, one of the most celebrated Ganeshas of the city, followed by GSB Seva Mandal’s Ganpati in Matunga, which is considered the richest and known for its grandeur.

Other famous Ganesh mandals are in Chinchpokli, Ganesh Gully and Tejukaya.

Apart from these, people will also get to see the city’s tallest Ganesha at 45 feet in the Khetwadi area of Girgaum.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has completed the works of filling potholes, pruning trees, and cleaning areas, as well as deployment of medical, ‘nirmalya’ and lifeguard teams have been completed.

A BMC release said a special cleanliness drive was undertaken in Mumbai on Sunday as a part of the Union government’s ‘Indian Cleanliness League 2.0’, an intercity cleanliness competition. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)