Chennai, Sep 18 Vinayaka Chathurthi, the birthday of the Elephantine God,
considered to be the remover of all obstacles, was on Monday celebrated across
Tamil Nadu with religious fervour and traditional gaiety.
Tens and hundreds of temples of Lord Ganesha across the State, were given a
facelift and tastefully democrated and illuminated for the week-long festivities.
All the temples across the State were opened as early as 4.00 am in the morning
and special anhishekams and poojas were performed to mark the occason..
A large number of devotees thronged the temples, which witnessed milling crowds
right throughout the day on the occasion.
Thousands of people were seen queued up to offer prayers for the Elephantine God
on this auspicious day to seek wisdom, knowledge and absolution from past sins.
Special music and cultural events and Annadhanams (free meals) were also provided
to the devotees to mark the occasion.
All the temples of Lord Ganesha, including smaller ones in every nook and corner of
all the streets and by residential associations in apartments, were given a fresh coat
of paint and illuminated to mark the occasion.
Special poojas and abhishekams were also performed and prasadams distributed to
the devotees.
People thronged markets last evening and also today to purchase clay idols of
Lord Ganesha along with an umbrella and the traditional ‘Arugamboo’ (flower)
garland which will be placed in their homes and offered prayers.
‘Sweet Kozhukattais’, a cooked rice flour dumpling filled with coconut and jaggery,
which is considered the favourite food of Lord Ganesha, was prepared at almost all
the houses and offered to the Lord as prasadam.
As has been the practice every year and that has been taking place for more than
three decades–except for two years during the COVID pandemic–a giant 150 kg
kozhukattai was offered to Sri Uchi Pillayar and Sri Manicka Vinayagar temples
ensconced in the famous Tiruchy’s Rockfort Sri Thayumanaswamy Temple atop
a hill.
But this age-old recipe has been tweaked during the celebrations since 2007 at
the two temples. Instead of the regular dumpling, the ingredients of the sweet’s
outer cooked rice dough parcel and fillings are mixed and steamed together.
The ‘Kozhukattai’ here is supersized to 150 kilograms, and the offering was halved
into servings of 75 kg each for distribution to devotees at the two shrines on this
auspicious day.
It is made up of 60 kgs of jaggery mounds, 50 kgs of rice flour, 30 litres of clarified
butter (ghee) and six kgs of shredded coconut and all would be combined with
about four kgs of cardamom, nutmeg and sesame seeds.
As has been the norm every year, the festival was celebrated by installing
thousands of idols of various hues and sizes across the State.
The idol makers will come out with novel way every year and this year with
the success of India’s Lunar Mission, an idol of Lord Ganesha with the
model of Chandrayaan-3 was made.
Apart from this, Lord Ganesha emerging out from a giant coconut, which
was broken into two with the top half getting lifted showing Ganesha offering
darshan to the people at Salem.
Tight police security have been provided in all the places were the idols were
installed.
Tamil Nadu Director General of Police Shankar Jiwal said 75,000 police personnel
were deployed on security duty for the idols, which would be taken in a procession
and immersed in sea and other bodies identified by the police and district officials
on Sunday next (Sep 24) marking the culmination of the wekk-long festivities.
In Chennai, a total of 1,343 Idols of Lord Ganesha of several sizes and in various
avatars were installed in various parts of the city.
Round-the-clock tight police security were being given to all the idols across the state.
Tamil Nadu Governor R.N.Ravi and Leaders of various political parties extended Vinayaka
Chathurthi greetings to the people of the State.