If you ask one to name a famous Ganesh Idol in Andhra Pradesh, it’s no surprise if you hear ‘Khairatabad Ganesh’ from most of them. The Khairatabad Ganesh is known for its history, its magnanimous height and the fact that it’s present in the state capital does help to get the publicity it needs (not that it needs, anyway).
But, this year and the last, this huge ganesh in Khairatabad is being dwarfed (in height) by other Idol’s elsewhere in the state. The statue in Visakhapatnam (Vizag) this year takes the record for being the highest ganesh statue in the state at 120 feet. Not only is this the highest, the organizers, Sampath Vinayaka Visakha Youth, have taken efforts to make this huge statue completely out of mud and clay, purely eco friendly. It is for this reason that the Idol hasn’t been opened for public darshan today (the festival day) since it’s been raining heavily (you known what happens to clay when mixed with water?). The organizers are taking steps to cover it as much as possible and open it for public from Tuesday.
Not only did the Idol make a record in the state, but the famous laddu (or laddoo) too, seems to be on the verge of snatching up a record, a big one in fact, the Guinness World record for the biggest laddu ever created. Suvarnabhoomi group has created a huge 6399 kg laddu and are talking with Guinness authorities for the official recognition.
