Hyderabad, September 25, 2026: Two of Hyderabad’s best-known Ganesh processions drew devotees towards Hussain Sagar on Friday. The Balapur Ganesh Shobha Yatra began after a special puja at 5 am, while the six-hour procession carrying the 72-foot Khairatabad Ganesh idol reached Crane No. 4 at Tank Bund. According to the 1:49 pm update, the Khairatabad idol had been separated from its transport vehicle, and Kalasa Puja was to take place before immersion. The update did not say that the immersion had been completed.
Organised by the Balapur Ganesh Utsav Samithi, the Balapur procession is set to travel about 16 km through Chandrayangutta, Falaknuma, Charminar, Afzalgunj, MJ Market and Abids before reaching the Tank Bund area for immersion. A live update placed the procession at Ganesh Chowk in Balapur at 12:42 pm and at Keshavagiri X Roads at 1:26 pm. These positions were reported at different times as the yatra continued through the city.
The Balapur Ganesh laddu auction was scheduled to begin at 9:30 am. The annual auction is one of the closely watched parts of the celebrations and brings bidders and devotees to Balapur before the idol’s journey across Hyderabad. The supplied updates did not report the winning bid for the Balapur laddu, so the separate ₹13 lakh auction result from Aparna Serenity in Kompally should not be confused with it.
The Khairatabad Ganesh Shobha Yatra concluded its road journey when the towering idol arrived at Crane No. 4. The next reported step was Kalasa Puja, followed by immersion in Hussain Sagar. Hyderabad City Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar had earlier said Friday was the final day of the city’s Ganesh immersion events and that the Khairatabad idol was expected to be immersed around 2 pm. That was an expected time, rather than confirmation that immersion had taken place.
Ganesh idol immersions continued at Tank Bund as devotees gathered along the waterfront. Police and traffic personnel were deployed on procession routes, with officers checking arrangements as the Balapur yatra advanced and crowds moved towards the lake. Traffic police urged commuters and devotees to follow instructions from personnel on duty and cooperate with restrictions along the route. Travellers heading through the affected areas should allow extra time and follow the directions displayed locally as the processions continue.
