Constructed annually and known for its height and the laddu held in the figure's hand, the idol is worshipped during the 10-day festival where thousands of devotees visit every day.

Inspired by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Singari Shankaraiah first established a 1 foot (0.30 m) Ganesh idol in 1954 at a temple in Khairatabad.

A 1 foot (0.30 m) high idol of the Hindu deity Ganesha was first established in 1954 at Khairatabad locality in Hyderabad to commemorate the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi.

It was started by Singari Shankaraiah, Indian independence movement activist and former corporator, who was inspired by Bal Gangadhar Tilak's call in 1893 to celebrate the festival as a mark of unity.

[1][2] Devotees participate in the 10-day festival where thousands of people visit the Khairatabad Ganesh every day from various parts of the city, and other places.

The same year, Rao entered the Guinness World Records by creating a laddu weighing 29,465 kg (64,959 lb) which was presented to a Ganesh idol at Visakhapatnam.

[1] In 2017, E. S. L. Narasimhan, the governor of Telangana called for construction of the Khairtabad Ganesh idol using clay and natural colours instead of the usual Plaster-of-Paris (PoP).

[41] However, the organizing Ganesh Utsav Committee expressed concerns over the clay idol as it could be damaged due to heavy rains and the plan was eventually dropped.

[42][20] In September 2021, the Telangana High Court issued a ban on immersing the Ganesh idols made out of Plaster-of-Paris (PoP) in the Hussain Sagar lake due to environmental concerns.

[43] The governing body of the city, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), sought a stay order from the Supreme Court of India.

[44] Following the exemption, GHMC dug up Hussain Sagar lake, for the first time, along the shore on NTR Marg so that the idol would be fully immersed in accordance to religious beliefs.

[24] During the same time, the organizing committee announced their plans to build a 70-foot (21 m) eco-friendly Ganesh idol made out of clay in 2022, following the request by the mayor of Hyderabad.

[38] Khairatabad Ganesh was featured in the K. Viswanath-directed 1983 film Sagara Sangamam where Kamal Haasan's dance sequences were shot in front of the idol.