There will not be a procession this time. The idol will be dissolved on the spot. Devotees will be permitted only online darshan except in the neighborhood.

Hyderabad: The Khairatabad Ganesh idol this year is likely to be 27 feet tall, made of clay, and modeler. At the same time, devotees will be permitted only online darshan. 

Considering the Covid-19 pandemic, the Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav Committee had last month decided to set up only a one-foot idol. 

Owing to the pandemic and fast-rising number of COVID-19 cases in the city, it was not sure until now if the Samithi would go ahead with the festivities, and if yes, how. Even with all restrictions this year, only residents will be permitted darshan and that too from a distance of six feet, he said.

The idol will be 27 feet tall and will be made of clay. Shilpi Rajender, who was involved in making the towering idol for the Utsav Committee all these years, will be preparing the idol this year as well.

“We will be taking up the work as per the government and the police department’s guidelines,” said Yadav.

According to Samithi convenor Sandeep Raj Mudiraj, there was no doubt about the conduct of Ganesh festivities this year. It is just that, he says, the committee wants to ensure that the festival does not lead to further spreading of the virus. “Further discussions are ongoing to make everything comfortable for everyone. The theme of Dhanvantari itself was symbolic of our efforts to overcome the pandemic,” he says.

For the first time in 66 years, Hyderabad’s famed Khairatabad Ganesh idol will not be taller than the previous year’s idol, which was a record 66-feet in height. It has been a longstanding tradition to raise the idol’s height by one foot every year. But this year, the organizers have decided to install a 27-feet-tall clay idol, instead of the one made using plaster of paris.