From 72-foot giant to a 3.8 lakh-diamond-studded idol, Hyderabad’s Ganeshas are bigger and brighter this year

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Hyderabad has no shortage of grand ways to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, and this year is no different. Across the city, pandals are going bigger, taller and more elaborate, from a 72-feet eco-friendly Ganesha in Nagole and the iconic 69-feet Khairatabad Ganesh to a 24-carat gold-plated idol studded with 3.8 lakh American diamonds in Begum Bazar. 

And if towering idols are not enough to catch your eye, there is the 18-feet Balapur Ganesh, modelled on the Puri Jagannath Temple, and the 21-kg laddu that will once again set the stage for one of Hyderabad’s most eagerly awaited laddu auctions.

For generations of Hyderabadis, no Ganesh Chaturthi season is complete without a visit to the iconic Khairatabad Ganesh. The idol draws lakhs of devotees from the first day of the festival until immersion, and this year it stands 69-feet tall. “Around 1,000 bags of natural clay, brought from Rajasthan, have gone into making the idol, with 125 artisans working on it for 90 days,” said Sandeep Raj of the Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav Samithi.

The Khairatabad Ganesh is marking its 72nd year. What began in 1954 with a one-foot idol has, over the decades, grown into one of the city’s biggest Ganesh Chaturthi attractions. Last year, around 50 lakh devotees visited the idol. “This year, we are expecting 60 lakh visitors,” said Mr, Sandeep.

At Nagole, height takes centre stage. The Tiranga Youth Association has installed a 72-foot Ganesh idol, which the organisers say is the tallest in the city this year. Made entirely of clay, grass, bamboo and jute, the idol is completely eco-friendly and contains no chemicals or Plaster of Paris (PoP). “The decision to use an eco-friendly idol stems from the belief that celebrating festivals should go hand in hand with protecting the environment,” Sai Mudhiraj, president of the association said.

In Balapur, the Ganesh idol this year is 18 feet tall and has been designed around the theme of the Puri Jagannath Temple, said Pradeep Reddy of the Balapur Ganesh Utsav Samithi.

For many Hyderabadis, the Balapur Ganesh reminds them of the idol and the laddu auction, one of the most eagerly awaited events of the festival season. The auction has become famous for the extraordinary rise in the value of the laddu. What was auctioned for just ₹450 in 1994 went on to fetch a record ₹35 lakh in 2025.

This year’s laddu weighs 21 kg and comes with a 2-kg silver plate. With crowds increasing after 6 p.m., the organisers said puja timings have been restricted to 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

And then there is a Ganesha that is less about height and more about bling. At Leechee Pearls and Jewels in Begum Bazar, brothers Akshay Agarwal, Aadhar Agarwal and Nikitesh Agarwal have created a distinctive Ganesha inspired by their jewellery business. The idol is covered with around 3.8 lakh American diamond stones. The idol also has 24-carat gold-plating, with around four to five grams of gold used for it, giving the idol a distinctive golden appearance. “We spent about eight months working on the idol. The idea was to do something different and create something connected to the business we have been doing,” Akshay Agarwal.

The Ganesh idol, however, will have a different fate from most idols across the city. It will not be immersed. Instead, it will be taken out in a procession and displayed to the public on the day of Nimajjanam, after which it will be retained.

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