Jumbo Idols: Ganesha idols getting bigger by the year, costing lakhs

Biggest Ganeshas: A 20-feet tall and 15-feet wide idol of Ganesha, was brought in a procession, on the eve of Ganesha festival on Tuesday. The idol made of clay and coir, weighs two tonnes and cost Rs. 2.2 lakh for the making, apart from Rs. 50,000 spent on transportation charges alone, according to Atharva Geleyara Balaga, who brought the idol from Madanapalle in Andhra Pradesh. The idol was lifted by a crane throughout the procession which passed through D. Devaraj Urs Road, before consecrating the idol at a public pandal on Jayalakshmi Vilas Road, near Ramaswamy Circle.

Mysore/Mysuru: Ganesha fervour grips city, with various households consecrating the idols and organisations and associations installing the idols in public pandals, thus keeping the spirit of festival alive, till they are immersed as a mark of conclusion of the festival.

The main attractions are Ganesha idols in gigantic forms adorning the public pandals; the idol of Ganesha riding a horse at K.G. Koppal, Aatma Linga with Gowri at Devaraja Mohalla, Ganesha riding peacock, tiger, lion and Ganesha in Bharatanatyam posture in several other pandals.

The public pandals in the outskirts namely Koorgalli, Hebbal and several other localities, were also not behind, with the organisers leaving no stone unturned to celebrate the festival uniquely.

Clay idols

However, majority of the households preferred to install environmental friendly clay idols

Mobile tankers

Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), Mysuru Regional Office, had deployed mobile water tankers at prominent circles and junctions, identified by Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), where the idols were immersed. The individuals who came on their own, installed the idols at mobile tankers stationed at Chamundipuram, Kuvempunagar, Vontikoppal, Brindavan Extension, Hebbal, totalling 23 circles/ junctions.

The idols immersed will be later dumped at MCC’s Waste Management Plants at  Kesare and Sewage Farm in Vidyaraynapuram.

Ganesha, riding a horse installed at K.G. Koppal in city. It is 28-feet tall and was made at Devanahalli in Bengaluru, totally costing Rs. 4 lakh, for the organisers.

Varuna canal

However, the idols were immersed in Varuna canal, that is full to its capacity, in the outskirts on T. Narasipur Road, Bannur Road and Siddalingapura near Srirangapatna and several other places.

Meanwhile, some of the organisers had hired band-sets and musical troupes to accompany the idols both for procession prior to installation of the idols and immersion, along with illuminating the pandals with colourful bulbs. A park on Nazarbad Main Road, adjacent to a Ganesha Temple, was illuminated in the formation of lamps, attracting the passersby.

Ganesha temples…

Similarly, hundreds of devotees visited various Ganesha temples in their localities, as part of the festival. Ganapathi Temple at the premises of Mysore Palace North Gate, 101 Ganapathi Temple at Agrahara and other localities were brimming with devotees throughout the day.

Security arrangements

The City Police too had made elaborate security arrangements, entrusting the jurisdictional Police to visit the pandals to ensure orderliness. The sensitive areas had been identified in prior, where the Police were stationed in adequate numbers.

This post was published on August 28, 2025 6:38 pm