The immersion of the iconic 69-foot Khairatabad “Vishwashanti Mahashakti Vinayaka” idol was completed peacefully at 2:25 p.m. on Friday in Hussain Sagar Lake. However, the procession began more than two hours behind schedule due to delays in securing the idol to its trolley, affecting the overall immersion timetable. As a result, major routes including Tank Bund, Necklace Road and the Secretariat stretch remained dedicated to Ganesh processions, with only idol-carrying vehicles allowed to use the main route.

Meanwhile, the annual Balapur Ganesh Laddu auction created a new record, with the 21-kg laddu selling for ₹39 lakh. Hyderabad Police confirmed that the Balapur Ganesh Shobha Yatra concluded later in the day, while the immersion of thousands of idols from different parts of the city continued. To ensure smooth operations, authorities deployed 20,000 police personnel, installed 10,000 CCTV cameras, and arranged 110 static cranes along with 170 mobile cranes at lakes and immersion points across Hyderabad.

Hyderabad in-charge Minister Ponnam Prabhakar appealed to organisers and devotees to speed up the movement of Ganesh idols, citing the possibility of rain and the government’s aim to complete the immersion process by Saturday morning. Hyderabad Metro and MMTS operated special late-night services to assist devotees, while GHMC carried out awareness campaigns on waste segregation and plastic disposal. Traffic restrictions on major roads are expected to remain in place until the immersion process is completed.