Hyderabad: The nine-day long Ganesh Chaturthi festivities took off on a grand scale in Telangana with people celebrating it with devotion and traditional fervour.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy attended the puja at the famous pandal in Khairatabad here, known for the giant size of the idol.

This year a 70 ft idol was installed for worship at the pandal, which attracts thousands of devotees during the nine days.

Several pandals were set up across the state, especially in Hyderabad for the festivities.

The state government has made elaborate security arrangements for the festival and also for the immersion of idols in water bodies after the conclusion of the worship for nine days.

Clay Ganesha idols are gaining more popularity with each passing year in the state, as part of initiatives to promote greener celebrations.