# 69-foot Khairatabad Ganesh draws 75,000 on opening day

2026-09-15T07:26:32+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

The 69-foot Khairatabad Ganesh idol in Hyderabad drew over 75,000 devotees on the first day of Ganesh Chaturthi, despite heavy rain. The organisers expect 60 lakh visitors over the 11-day festival, up from 50 lakh last year, with immersion scheduled for 25 September. The idol, made from 1,000 bags of natural clay brought from Rajasthan, marks the 72nd year of the Khairatabad Ganesh tradition. Siasat.com reported a massive rush at the pandal, with police and railway police deployed to manage queues near the Khairatabad Metro station. The Padmashali Sangham offered a 75-foot sacred thread and durva grass garland for the fifth consecutive year. Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and his spouse attended the first pooja. M9.news reported the opening-day crowd and noted that adequate arrangements are in place. The Hindu added that other pandals across Hyderabad include a 72-foot eco-friendly idol in Nagole and a 24-carat gold-plated idol studded with 3.8 lakh American diamonds in Begum Bazar.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

Siasat.com and m9.news both lead with the crowd, but m9.news uses a headline styled as fandom and compares the 75,000 opening day visits to Tirumala Temple footfall, a sensationalist flourish. Siasat.com follows the same crowd fact but reports straight, adding police deployment details. The Hindu provides the widest context: it confirms the 60 lakh visitor projection and lists alternative pandals across Hyderabad, including an eco-friendly 72-foot idol in Nagole and a diamond-studded one in Begum Bazar. The Hindu does not repeat the 75,000 opening day figure. m9.news omits the eco-friendly and diamond-studded alternatives entirely. The consolidated picture is that Khairatabad remains Hyderabad's flagship Ganesh attraction, with organisers expecting 60 lakh visitors by immersion on 25 September.

## Coverage

- siasat.com (neutral report) <https://www.siasat.com/heavy-rains-fail-to-stop-devotees-at-khairatabad-ganesh-pandal-3542374/>
  Led with crowd numbers and police arrangements, no framing slant
- m9.news (sensationalist) <https://www.m9.news/social-media-viral/khairatabad-ganesh-75000-visitors-opening-day/>
  Compared crowd to Tirumala Temple, hype-heavy headline
- thehindu.com (neutral report) <https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/from-72-foot-giant-to-a-38-lakh-diamond-studded-idol-hyderabads-ganeshas-are-bigger-and-brighter-this-year/article71467009.ece>
  Focused on variety of pandals, sizes and materials across Hyderabad

Tags: Ganesh Chaturthi, Hyderabad, Khairatabad Ganesh, Padmashali Sangham, Shiv Pratap Shukla
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