The 72‑foot Sri Panchamukha Varasiddi Maha Ganapathi idol at Sitara Grounds in Vijayawada will not be taken to a river for immersion; fire‑tender trucks will spray it with water until it disintegrates on September 24, the concluding day of the city’s Ganesh Utsavams.
The towering clay idol, described by the 11‑member Doondi Ganesh Seva Samithi as one of the world’s tallest eco‑friendly Ganeshas, was constructed on the site in just 60 days using jute, coir, cloth and natural colours.
Around 200 volunteers from Odisha, West Bengal, Rajasthan and other states participated in its creation, according to Samithi member D. Subba Rao.
Throughout the festival, the Samithi has conducted special rituals – Kumkuma Archana, Deeparadhana, Pancha Haratulu – and organized cultural programmes and bhajans at the ground.
On the final day, a laddu auction will be held, and a thousand women devotees are expected to perform puja and a special harati before the “Nimajjanam” – the water‑spraying dissolution – is carried out by fire‑tender trucks.
Organisers say the on‑site immersion aims to avoid river pollution while allowing thousands of devotees to witness the concluding rites.