Ganesh idol immersion peaceful in Tirupati

Tirupati: A 15-year-old boy, Sai, died during the Ganesh immersion process in Redla Cheruvu in Basinikonda near Madanapalle on Wednesday. Except for this incident, the immersion elsewhere in Tirupati was peaceful.

The procession of Vinayaka Idols in Tirupati city began at 3 pm and at about 7 pm all the idols reached the immersion venue, Vinayaka Sagar in Timminaidupalem panchayat.

The local Vinayaka Mahotsava Committee held a meeting on Tuesday and explained to the coordinators of about 400 pandals in Tirupati on the need for peaceful procession and detailed time table. The Vinayaka idols left the pandals at 3 pm and the procession went through the four specified routes to reach the welcome arch arranged on Mangalam road. A procession that began at Konetikatta passed through Group Theatre complex, Gandhi statue, Ambedkar statue, Ramanujam Circle, Purnakumbham Circle, Srinivasam, Korlagunta Junction and Leela Mahal.

The procession in the second route was from Sri Rama Theatre, Town Club, Krishnapuram Thana, Flower Market, Gandhi Road Junction, Corporation Office Circle, Devendra Theatre and Leela Mahal Circle. The third route procession was from SV Arts College and passed through LIC Office, IS Mahal, Jyothi Theatre Circle, Ramakrishna Deluxe junction, Maternity Hospital, Bhavani Nagar, VV Mahal, Corporation Office, Devendra Theatre and Leela Mahal Circle. The fourth procession was in the route of ISKCON temple, Khadi Colony, Municipal Park and Leela Mahal Circle.

The traffic police had made all arrangements for a peaceful procession and diverted the regular vehicular traffic on various roads and the local Committee took several steps in preventing the obscene dances during the procession. No untoward incident took place. Tirupati Urban SP SV Rajasekhara Babu appreciated the planning of the immersion process by the local committee.

He said that earlier all the idols were immersed on single day, but this year the committee has drafted a plan by categorizing the immersion procession in a four phased manner, which has eased the difficulties to people. The local committee divided the immersion process into four phases – few idols on third day, few on fifth day, few on seventh day and few on ninth day.