Visakhapatnam spent Vinayaka Chavithi the way it always does, at home in the morning and out on the roads by evening, walking from pandal to pandal. This year the pandals gave it plenty to walk to: a Ganesha of one crore bangles in Gajuwaka, one of a crore Rudraksha beads at China Waltair, one that dances, one styled after the film ‘Peddi’, and one that has arrived, on cue, as the new airport at Bhogapuram.

A Ganesh idol adorned with one crore Rudraksha beads at China Waltair in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

K.R. Deepak

People performed special rituals and offered prayers to Lord Ganesha with devotion and enthusiasm. Families dressed in traditional attire, prepared a variety of festive dishes and offered them to the deity. Undrallu, kudumulu, modakalu, pulihora, garelu and payasam were among the traditional Telugu preparations offered at many homes. Pictures and festive greetings were exchanged on social media, adding a contemporary touch to the celebrations.

In Pictures: Ganesh Chaturthi 2026
Three Lord Vinayagar idols depicting different avatars of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, installed at RK Nagar by TVK cadres during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, in Chennai.

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan, with his wife Sadhna Singh, carries an idol of Lord Ganesh for installation at their residence on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, in Bhopal on September 14, 2026.

Devotees pray at the Shri Sidhi Vinayak Ganesh Mandir on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Srinagar on September 14, 2026.

Devotees pray at the Shri Sidhi Vinayak Ganesh Mandir on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Srinagar on September 14, 2026.

Devotees pray at the Shri Sidhi Vinayak Ganesh Mandir on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Srinagar on September 14, 2026.

Ganesha idol made with one crore rudraksh unveiled at a pandal on Beach Road in Visakhapatnam on September 14, 2026, as part of Vinayak Chaturthi celebrations.

‘Sri Divya Kankana Alankara Maha Ganapathi’, a 117-foot-tall idol adorned with around one crore glass bangles, installed by SV Entertainments for Vinayaka Chavithi celebrations, opened to the public at Sri Nagar in Gajuwaka, Visakhapatnam, on September 13, 2026. The idol is said to be among the tallest Ganesh idols installed in the city this year.

Ganesha in a dancing pose at a pandal at Chinna Waltair in Visakhapatnam on Ganesh Chaturthi on September 14, 2026.

Devotees offer prayers to an idol of Lord Ganesh during the ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’ festival, at a ‘pandal’ in Telipara, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, on September 14, 2026.

Devotees pray at the Shri Sidhi Vinayak Ganesh Mandir on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Srinagar on September 14, 2026.

Ganesh idols being taken in procession for installation at various places in Chennai on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi festival on September 13, 2026.

Devotees purchase idols of Lord Ganesha ahead of the Ganesh festival at Dhoolpet in Hyderabad on Sunday, September 13, 2026.

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Residential apartments and gated communities organised special programmes and cultural events, and residents came together to celebrate the festival.

A dancing Ganesh idol at China Waltair in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

K.R. Deepak

Streets across the city wore a festive look with colourful decorations, lighting and music, while small and elaborate Ganesh pandals attracted devotees throughout the day and into the night.

Several prominent pandals became major attractions, drawing large crowds from different parts of the city. A large Ganesh idol made using one crore bangles at Sri Nagar in Gajuwaka and an idol adorned with one crore Rudraksha beads at China Waltair were among them. A dancing Ganesh idol at China Waltair also drew considerable attention, and idols made of dates at Sheela Nagar and of cashew nuts at Gajuwaka drew crowds of their own.

A Ganesh pandal modelled on the King George Hospital, set up by Kingfisher Friends at Chengalraopeta in One Town, Visakhapatnam.

V. Raju

The city also saw a wide variety of innovative and theme-based idols and pandals. Several in One Town were inspired by landmarks and religious figures, including the 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.

A Ganesh pandal themed on the Telugu film ‘Peddi’ in Visakhapatnam on Monday.

V.Raju

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.

Unique ganesh mandapam with asr airport theme 😍 #vizagpic.twitter.com/mEXQRMGcYT

— 🔱🐎 సుజత్ God Of War🦚🙏🏻🕉️☪️✝️ (@Kadirodu_Offl) September 14, 2026

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.

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

A Ganesh pandal set up on a motorcycle, under an ornamental umbrella, at One Town in Visakhapatnam on Monday.

V. Raju

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

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As the sea remained rough and high tide conditions prevailed, people were not allowed to enter the water. The idols were taken into the sea by trained swimmers and community guards, while devotees were kept away as a precautionary measure.

The immersion continued on Tuesday morning. By then, plaster of Paris idols from the night’s immersions had washed ashore at Lawson’s Bay, as they do every year.

Children carry Ganesh idols to RK Beach in Visakhapatnam for immersion on Tuesday.

V. Raju