6. Ganesha Festival Icon Wants Free Electricity

[Guest guest]

organizer. The tallest Ganesha is not the only one for whose halo and divine

light, electricity is being sought free of cost. The others also want no

discrimination on the basis of size. "It would be nice if the government gives

free power for the entire period. We will also light up the entire street till

the end of our boundary," said one of the locals. Hyderabad has over 5,000

official Ganesh pandals (temporary temples set up on the streets). However,

there are at least 15,000 more unofficial celebration centres, each competing

with the other in grandeur. The special lighting for the 10-day festival is

expected to run up a jumbo power bill of up to US$227,000. The government has

so far been non-committal on whether it is willing to foot the power bill for

the Ganesh festival lest it be drawn into a high voltage controversy where

other religious structures demand

a waiver as well.-----------HINDU PRESS INTERNATIONAL