Chennai: For the second successive year, the Tamilnadu government has banned Vinayaga Chathurthi celebrations in the State to prevent spread of the Covid virus and the imposition of lockdown.
Vinayaga Chathurthi festival falls on 10 September and every year more than one lakh idols of various hues and sizes, will be installed in various parts of the State by various Hindu outfits, including the Hindu Munnani.
The week-long festivities will end when the idols will be taken in a procession and immersed in the sea and other waterbodies, identified by the government.
However, citing the Covid pandemic, the AIADMK government had banned the celebrations last year and also denied permission for installation of idols in public places, while allowing the people to celebrate the festival from their houses.
As the Covid pandemic continued and the beaches were shutdown on all Sundays to control the virus spread, the DMK government, which came to power after a gap of ten years, banned public celebration of Vinayagar Chathurthi festival. citing the lockdown.
In a statement here, Chief Minister M K Stalin also banned installation of Vinayagar idols in public places, undertaking processions and immersion of the idols in beaches and water bodies. The government requested people to celebrate the festival in their homes. Individuals alone would be allowed to go and immerse the idols at the water bodies near their homes.
All organisations are banned from installing the idols in public places and immersing the idols. As far as Chennai is concerned, the government banned the immersion of idols in beaches, including the stretch between Napier Bridge and Santhome.
Also, individuals celebrating the festival at their homes could place the idols outside temples or in the surrounding area of the temple and the HR and CE department will take steps to remove them.
The Hindu Munnani had already announced that it would defy the government ban and install idols and take out processions.
The government also banned congregation of public in Chennai, Velankanni and Nagapattinam districts and other places for the celebrations of the feast of Mother Mary.