Chaos prevailed here today during distribution of the laddu prasadam of the famous Khairatabad Ganesha after thousands of devotees scrambled for it.
The situation prompted the police to intervene and immediately stop prasadam distribution temporarily, thus avoiding a stampede like situation.
Right from the morning, thousands of devotees flocked for the prasadam, which is a special offering to the Lord Ganesha idol at Khairatabad, which is the city's most famous and tallest idol measuring 59 feet.
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The 'Maha laddu' weighing a whopping 5,600 kg, which was brought from Tapeswaram in Andhra Pradesh, was placed on Ganesha's palm with the help of a crane on Vinayaka Chaturthi on September 17.
After immersion of the Ganesh idol, organisers had announced distribution of prasadam today after which thousands of devotees assembled at Khairatabad due to which additional police forces were deployed.
"Around 25,000 devotees turned up at Khairatabad, though arrangements were in place only for around 3,000 people. Timely intervention by police avoided a possible stampede. We spoke to Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav Committee organisers and stopped laddu distribution. The crowd has been cleared and the situation is under control," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone) V B Kamalasan Reddy said.
He said that distribution of the laddu prasadam has been handed over to major temples in the city.
"Safety of citizens is important and we will take up this matter with organisers to take necessary measures," he said.
