Telangana celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi with fervour

: Vinayaka Chaturthi was celebrated across Telangana on Monday with religious fervour and gaiety as the devotees thronged various temples and pandals to offer prayers.

Devotees, dressed in new clothes, offered 'Undrallu' a rice delicacy of the state, among others, to Ganesha who was believed to be the remover of obstacles and provider of knowledge.

Idols of Lord Ganesha have been installed in many places across the state for people to offer prayers before they are immersed in lakes and rivers after the nine-day-long celebration.

Hyderabad police commissioner Anjani Kumar had told PTI that over 25,000 Ganesh idols' installations were expected in the city.

Outgoing Telangana Governor ESL Narasimhan and his wife Vimala offered special prayers at the 61-foot-tall Ganesha idol at Khairatabad.

Artist of the tallest idol in the state C Rajendran said 25 tonnes of steel and 15 tonnes of plaster of paris and other material were used to make the deity weighing nearly 40 tonnes.

He said Srikanth, a local businessman, offered laddu - a sweetmeat weighing 750 kg to Khairatabad Ganesh this year also. The deity known as Dwadashaditya Maha Ganapathi has 12 heads and 24 arms.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his family members offered prayers at Pragathi Bhavan.

Various political parties performed poojas at their party offices.

TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy and his wife Padmavathi, along with other leaders, offered prayers at Gandhi Bhavan.

BJP leaders including its Telangana president K Laxman and national general secretary Muralidhar Rao worshipped Lord Ganesh at the party's state headquarters.