HYDERABAD, INDIA, September 2, 2019 (Deccan Chronicle): The 61-foot Khairatabad Ganesha statue is set for the festival on Monday, together with a 1,653 lb. laddu, and a 70-foot shawl that was contributed by devotees. The bamboo scaffolding used during the construction was removed on Sunday, revealing the statue in its glory. Devotees thronged Khairatabad to have the first look at the city’s tallest-ever statue. This year, the statue is named Dwadashaditya.
One of the devotees, Mr. J. Srikanth donated the laddu. He said 15 people worked on preparing the laddu and its container. The cooks, fabricators and welders worked for 36 hours to complete the prasadam. The total cost was put at US$1,250. The Dwadashaditya Ganesha statue has 24 hands and 12 heads which is adorned with 12 snakes. The statue and the arrangements cost approximately $111,000, and about 150 artists took part in its making. Special prayers will be conducted on Monday morning by Veda pandits from Warangal and local priests.