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Ganesh procession underway in Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Sep 23 (IANS) The mammoth Ganesh procession was underway here on Sunday amid tight security.
Hundreds of idols from various parts of Hyderabad, its twin city Secunderabad and surrounding areas were bring carried to water bodies for immersion, marking the culmination of 11-day festivities.
Thousands of people were participating in the “Shobha yatra” or the centralized procession from Balapur on Hyderabad fringes to Hussain Sagar in the heart of the city.
Idols of the elephant-headed Hindu god in different sizes and avatars were being brought to the lake on trucks amid slogans of devotees as police were maintaining a tight vigil to prevent any untoward incident.
More than 15 lakh people are expected to participate in the day-long procession.
According to officials, 14,000 idols were installed in ‘pandals’ or makeshift structures at public places while an equal number of idols were put up without registration. Majority of these idols will be immersed in Hussain Sagar.
The main procession began from Balapur with the traditional auction of ‘laddu’. Resident Srinivas Gupta bought the ‘laddu’ for Rs 16.60 lakh.
About 20,000 policemen have been deployed as part of the massive security arrangements for the annual procession.
Director General of Police Mahender Reddy and other top officials are monitoring the procession in Hyderabad and other major towns in Telangana at the state command and control centre, connected with CCTV cameras.
The police chief said they were using technology for effective monitoring to ensure peaceful and smooth conduct of the processions.
In Hyderabad alone, 2.5 lakh surveillance cameras are being used to monitor the procession from Balapur to Hussain Sagar.
For the second year in a row, the tallest idol began its journey early. The 57-feet-tall Ganesh installed at Khairatabad was carried on a trailer truck. After covering the four-km distance, the idol reached Hussain Sagar by afternoon.
During the previous years, the tallest idol used to be the last to begin its journey for immersion and the process used to stretch on to the next day. The police persuaded the organisers to start the procession early for smooth conduct of the immersion.
Authorities have deployed 200 cranes, including 51 static cranes, at Hussain Sagar and other water bodies for immersion.
According to officials, over 50,000 idols including small and medium sized idols were immersed during the last two days. Majority of the idols will be immersed on Sunday.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has deployed 10,000 sanitation workers across the twin cities. According to GHMC commissioner M. Dana Kishore, one action teams was deployed every 3 km along 370 km procession route (all processions from different points).
Two teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, 38 fire tenders, 12 boats and 10 swimmers were deployed to deal with any emergency situation.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.