beautiful Ganesha idols in Chennai city...

Today is Ganesh Chaturthi…. Vinayaka Chathurthi has been celebrated in Tamilnadu as also in the rest of the country with gay and gaiety.  Lord Ganesha is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune and traditionally invoked at the beginning of any new venture or at the start of travel.

In mid 1980s, installing huge Vinayaka idols in many public places, religious worship for ten days and visarjanam were being conducted in a big manner ~ after a couple of incidents, the then rulers banned passing of procession in the Triplicane High Road citing law and order issues and now a days, the procession has shrunk ……. Those days, there would be hundreds of Vinayakas big and small installed at each street and the idol procession would unwind through narrow lanes of triplicane, with enthusiastic crowds singing bajans and songs extolling Ganesha. In the early 1990s there were close to 5000 idols from all parts of Chennai assembling nearer Thiruvateeswaranpet and then the procession concluding near Thilagar Thidal in Marina beach. 

Many persons who were earlier organizing such pandal now state that there has been too much of pressure and hassles in obtaining permission, installation and conduct of visarjanam.  Nearer Thiruvatteewarar koil in Triplicane, there used to be very huge idols of Vinayakar touching 32 feet which had to be scaled down to many reasons ~ important one being the construction of MRTS and the overhead bridge restricting the height. 

This year TOI reports that Police have permitted installation at 1761 places in the city ~ but today could observe many pandals with beautiful Vinayaka idols. Police have instructed members of Hindu Munnani and other organisations that have installed Ganesh idols to follow certain rules while conducting the festival.

Sowcarpet area in Chennai  has huge sprinkling of Rajasthani and North Indian population and here Ganesh Chathurthi is celebrated with great religious fervour.  The pandals are tastefully decorated and richly made. This morning went to Sowcarpet area and had darshan of many Vinayakas… here are photos of some of them – Chennaika Raja Vinayaka at Kasi Chetty St., the one at Govindappa Naicken St, Nayakaran street… [photos courtesy : Thirumazhisai Kannan]

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.

9^th Sept. 2013