Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Palvancha, Telangana, have attracted attention this year after two Ganesh idols were decorated with currency notes worth a combined Rs 2.9 crore. The elaborate decorations drew large crowds of devotees and onlookers.
At one pandal, members of the Kapu community decorated their Ganesh idol using currency notes worth around Rs 1.4 crore. The elaborate setup became a major attraction during the festival.
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Another grand decoration was organised by Team Ekdant, which used currency notes worth approximately Rs 1.5 crore to adorn its Ganpati idol. The decorations featured currency notes in denominations of Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 100, Rs 200 and Rs 500. At one of the pandals, the idol's crown and garland were made entirely using currency notes, adding to the scale of the display.
Local Merchants, Banks Help Raise Funds
According to the organisers, the money used for the decorations was collected with the support of local traders and merchants. Local banks also provided new currency notes specifically for decorating the pandal housing the Ganapati idol.
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Currency-note decorations during Ganesh Chaturthi are not new in Palvancha. The Kapu Sangam Ganesh Utsav Committee had earlier used Rs 1.1 crore in new currency notes to decorate a Ganesh idol and the stage at the Ambedkar Centre in 2024. Around Rs 1.5 crore was reportedly spent on decorating the stage that year.
A similar display was also organised in 2023, when around Rs 1 crore was used to decorate a single Ganesh pandal.