A devotee carries an idol of Lord Ganesha on the first day of the ten-day-long Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
Credit: PTI Photo
Chennai/Hyderabad/Bengaluru: Vinayaka Chathurthi was celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety across the south on Saturday, with prominent leaders, including Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy joining the celebrations in the respective states.
A festive mood pervaded the region as scores of faithful celebrated the day, and grandeur marked the occasion with the installation of large Ganesha idols in Chennai and Hyderabad, among other cities.
Prominent Ganesha temples such as the ones at Pillayarpatti in Sivaganga and Malaikottai in Tiruchirappalli, both in Tamil Nadu, and the Manakula Vinayakar temple in neighbouring Puducherry teemed with devotees who thronged the shrines to offer worship.
Telangana CM Reddy participated in a well-attended Ganesh Puja at Khairatabad in Hyderabad. JD (S) leader and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy held prayers at Bengaluru.
Celebrations were also held in some temples in Kerala.
In Tamil Nadu, clay idols of Lord Ganesha were installed at homes and prayers were held. AIADMK chief and Leader of Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami greeted people on the occasion.