Paper Title
Monitor Ganesh Pandals and to Track Immersion Process using GIS

Abstract
Ganesh Chaturthi, a ten-day festival honoring Lord Ganesha, the God of prosperity and wisdom, is celebrated across India, usually during August/September every year, to widespread enthusiasm and devotion. Various themed pandals (temporary prayer structures) are created across the land to play host to the idols of the Lord. The number of large Ganesh Pandals ranges anywhere between 20,000 to 70,000 per state. During 2023, Telangana state registered around 64,000 large Ganesh Pandals. It is worth mentioning that immersion of the idols happen throughout the 10 days of the festivities. The Police have to invest significant resources in preventing untoward incidents, including potential terror strikes, while making sound arrangements with regard to security measures across anti-sabotage checks, traffic planning and management, crowd control, and dissemination of information to public. This helps ensure communal harmony and societal concord. Besides, the Police also have to coordinate and liaise with other departments such as Municipal Corporation, State Electricity Board, Fire Services Department, et. al., and to avert any obstacles in dealing with these challenges. The present paper covers an instance where technology, including GIS Technology, was deployed and leveraged as a pivotal enabler to facilitate traditional cultural practices while maintaining peace, harmony, and order during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Telangana. Keywords: CCTV Surveillance, GIS, Geographical Information System, Geo-tagging, Ganesha Pandal, Police Department, Public Addressing System, Traffic Management, Variable Message Boards