From streets lit up with twinkling fairy lights and to drummers bringing Ganesh idols home to volunteers navigating tall idols on the streets with barge-poles, Hyderabad wore a festive look ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi. But along with colour and celebration, the city is also bracing for the practical challenges that come with it.
On National Highway (NHH) 44, near the Suchitra junction, the scene has turned into a spectacle over the past week. Rows of temporary sheds line the road, each packed with Lord Ganesh idols of various sizes and designs, while earthmovers and trailers stand ready to ferry them into colonies, markets and pandals. By nightfall, the highway resembles a moving carnival: families bargaining for idols, devotees breaking into dance as trolleys begin their journey, and motorists, sometimes stuck in traffic, watching the spectacle unfold with a mix of awe and frustration. “I was driving towards Bengaluru, but I have ended up in the middle of a celebration,” said a bemused traveller.
