“People look at the 69-foot Khairatabad Ganesh and immediately notice the size. They see the colours, the design and the amount of work that goes into creating an idol of this scale. I’m Duvva Bal Kumar, advisor to the Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav Committee, and I have been associated with this festival for decades. For me, this is not just about how big the idol is. It is about a tradition that has grown with Hyderabad.

The Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav began in 1954, when freedom fighter and local activist Singari Shankaraiah Garu installed a one-foot clay idol. For many years, we increased the height by a foot every year. As the celebrations grew, so did the number of devotees coming here. Today, we have kept the height at 69 feet, keeping safety and practical concerns in mind, but the enthusiasm of people has not reduced.

This year, the idol is the ‘Panchamukha Sankatahara Maha Ganapati’, with five faces and six hands. The Somnath Jyothirlinga and Kalika Mata are also part of the design. The theme was decided after spiritual discussions and is a prayer for protection, peace and balance for humanity.

Creating an idol of this size takes a huge amount of effort. Around 150 artisans from five states worked for nearly two months. We have used around 30 tonnes of natural river clay and organic colours. Being eco-friendly has become very important to us, and we want the celebrations to continue without compromising on that responsibility.

But the work does not end when the idol is ready. For eleven days, this place becomes a meeting point for lakhs of devotees. People come from different communities, different parts of the city and different walks of life. They stand in the same queues, offer their prayers and experience the festival together.”