Chennai: Vinayaka Chathurthi festival, marking the birth of the Elephantine God, is being celebrated with religious fervour and traditional gaiety in Tamilnadu today.
However, it was a low key celebrations this year, in view of the COVID-19 induced pandemic and the subsequent lockdown guidelines put in force by the government to prevent spread of the virus.
Unlike in the past, when the festival was celebrated by installing Lord Ganesha idols in various hues and sizes across the state, the Government, in a GO, banned idol installations in public places, besides taking out rallies and processions and immersing them in sea and other water bodies citing the lockdown.
The Madras High Court, while passing orders on a batch of PILs, refused to stay the government order while allowing individuals, worshipping in their houses to immerse the idols in nearby water bodies, except on the sea front in Marina, by maintaining social distancing.
The frontline Hindu organisation, like Hindu Munnani, earlier said it would defy the government order and install 1.5 lakh idols in public places across the state,Ā but later gave an undertaking along with another outfit Shiv Sena that it would abide by the government’s move.
The BJP, which had urged the government to reconsider its decision to ban idol installations in public and said it would toe the line of the Hindu Munnani on the issue, celebrated the occasion by offering special pujas to Lord Ganesha at its party headquarters ‘Kamalalayam’ in the city.
BJP State president L Murugan, who had said that the government was putting obstacles to the celebrations of a God believed to remove all obstacles and wantedĀ the celebrations to be allowed, senior leaders and other office bearers participated in the function.
Meanwhile, numerous small temples of Lord Ganesha, across the State, were tastefully decorated and illuminated to mark the festival and special pujasĀ and abhishekams were performed.
Tamilnadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and leaders of various political parties extended Vinayaka Chathurthi greetings to theĀ people of the State.
Modi greets