HYDERABAD: On the eleventh day of Ganesh festival, the Balapur Ganesh laddu was auctioned for a hefty sum of Rs 17.6 lakh on Thursday by one Kolan Ram Reddy. Last year the laddu had received the highest bid of Rs 16.6 lakh.
As many as 28 people participated in the auction, which started with the base price of Rs 1,116 and reached Rs 17.6 lakh within ten minutes. The laddu was prepared by Umamangeshwar of Tapeshwaram and was handed over free of cost.
The Shobha Yatra of the huge 61-feet tall Khairatabad Ganesh idol started early morning around 7:30 am amid tight security, as the idol was moved for immersion from its pandal early morning around 6:30 am. By 12:30 pm, the idol reached Tank Bund for immersion.
More than 50,000 Ganesh idols are expected to be immersed in Hussainsagar, other lakes and artificial tanks in the city, for which the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has arranged around 38 cranes at different water bodies to facilitate the immersion.
Tight security arrangements have been put in place for the Ganesh idols procession which will pass through the old city and for the address to be delivered by the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.