The city celebrated Vinayaka Chavithi with special rituals and festive meals at home in the morning, followed by visits to elaborately decorated pandals in the evening.

This year, pandals across the city featured unusual decorations, materials and themes, drawing large number of devotees and visitors.

A Ganesh idol made with around 300 kg of turmeric at Gajuwaka, Visakhapatnam

KR DEEPAK

Families dressed in traditional attire, prepared a variety of festive dishes and offered them to Lord Ganesh. Undrallu, kudumulu, modakalu, pulihora, garelu and payasam were among the traditional Telugu preparations made in many homes. Residents shared pictures and festive greetings on social media.

Apartment complexes and gated communities celebrated the festival on a modest scale because of the ongoing water crisis in the city.

The city streets wore a festive look with colourful decorations, lighting and music. Ganesh pandals attracted devotees throughout the day and into the night.

Among the major attractions was a Ganesh idol made with one crore bangles at Sri Nagar in Gajuwaka. Another idol adorned with one crore Rudraksha beads at China Waltair. A dancing Ganesh idol in the same area (China Waltair) also drew considerable attention. Idols made of dates at Sheela Nagar and another with cashew nuts at Gajuwaka were popular among the visitors.

Several pandals in One Two had innovative and theme-based idols depicting landmarks and religious figures. These included themes depicting King George Hospital at Chengalraopeta, the Sabarimala Ayyappa Swamy temple on Beach Road, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Kota Veedhi and Kalabhairava Swamy in One Town.

Popular Telugu films also became a source of inspiration. Themes based on ‘Paradise’, ‘The Raja Saab’, ‘Youth’, ‘Peddi’ and ‘OG’ were showcased at different locations, blending popular cinema with the traditional festival.

Another pandal that generated considerable interest, particularly on social media, was a replica of the recently inaugurated Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport, near Cheepurupalli Uppada in the Bheemunipatnam area.

With several prominent pandals becoming destinations for festive outings, people thronged the streets to see the idols. The heavy movement of people and vehicles led to traffic congestion at several junctions. Beach Road, in particular, saw a large turnout as the three-day holiday period drew to a close.

Children carry Ganesh idols on the Beach road for immersion in Visakhapatnam.

V RAJU

From Monday (September 14, 2026) evening, devotees began bringing home-worshipped Ganesh idols to RK Beach and other designated immersion points.

GVMC workers clear puja material, including plastic waste, from RK Beach in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday.

KR DEEPAK

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has deployed sanitation personnel at major beaches, including RK Beach, Jodugullapalem, Bheemunipatnam and Rushikonda. The personnel collect flowers, leaves and other leftover puja puja materials to prevent them from accumulating along the shoreline.

As the sea remained rough and high tide conditions prevailed, people were not allowed to enter the water. Trained swimmers and community guards, carried the idols into the sea for immersion as a precautionary measure.

The immersion continued on Tuesday morning.