Hyderabad: At Lalitha Bagh in the Uppuguda area, the Mallikarjuna Nagar Youth Welfare Association has created a Viksit Bharat-themed pandal to mark its 50th anniversary.

The pandal features Lord Ganesha dressed towering in metallic armour, adorned with a crown and jewellery, surrounded by robotic Mushaks, traditionally regarded as his vehicle. The Mushaks are designed in different mechanical forms and arranged in formation, giving the display the look of an army assembled before its leader.

Association Member, Sushil Kumar, said, "We have dressed Lord Ganesha in an armour-like, robotic form and prepared the idol with the help of an artist. We wanted to think of something new for the pandal that could convey a message to people - something that brings together both patriotism and devotion to God. With this concept in mind, we named it 'Viksit Bharat Ganesh' and created this pandal."

The association comes up with a new theme every year, and this year it has chosen to depict the government's vision of achieving a 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047.

The Organiser Srikanth in Telugu said, "In 1947, we gained independence and British rule ended. In 2047, India will complete 100 years of independence, so we selected the Viksit Bharat theme. Every year, we come up with a new theme. Last year, we chose the Operation Sindoor theme. This year, we have selected Viksit Bharat to highlight Prime Minister Modi ji's vision and take it to the people."

The Viksit Bharat-themed pandal will be part of a grand procession on September 25, when the idol is immersed at Tank Bund, accompanied by its mini bullet-train model, bullock cart and robotic Mushaks.