Immersion of idols passes off smoothly in Tirupati

Tirupati: The three-day 'Ganesh Chathurthi' celebrations in the pilgrim city came to end with the mass immersion of the idols in Vinayaka Sagar on the city outskirts here on Wednesday.

The idols from as many 800 mandaps specially set for the conduct of the annual festival in various localities in the city were brought in a procession to the accompaniment of traditional music and dance for immersion in the tank waters amidst chanting hailing Lord Ganesh.

Residents also joined with the idols put up in their homes in the procession for the immersion of the idols in the tank while the enthusiastic youth and children dancing and singing all the way to the tank added more colour and jest to the idols march.

The idols were brought from three routes suggested by the police including from TVS showroom Junction, Anna Rao Circle and Ramakrishna Deluxe Junction covering all the localities in the city, avoiding the roads between Leelamahal Circle to Kapilatheertham Nandi Circle and the road between Ramanuja Circle to Sankarambadi Statue Circle where the Garuda Varadhi works were going on, to avoid traffic problem and ensure smooth passage of the procession.

The elaborate arrangements by the city police coupled with the efforts of Tirupati Varasiddhi Vinayaka Mahotsava Committee which is steering the Chathurthi celebration in the pilgrim city saw the mass immersion of idols (Nimajjan) successfully without any hitch anywhere.

Vinayaka Mahotsava Committee volunteers, who were stationed in important junctions guided the processions coming from various routes while many social organisations provided drinking water and buttermilk to the participants in the procession.

The Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) provided the required facilities including platforms, barricades, lighting and also cranes at the tank facilitating the immersion of the idols in the tank. Women, men and children gathered in good number to witness the immersion of the idols in Vinayaka Sagar tank.

Committee Convener Samanchi Srinivas thanked the MCT authorities and police for the cooperation and also the public for their support for the successful completion of Vinayaka Chavithi celebrations with the immersion of idols in the city.