Chennai: The Ganesha Chaturthi festival is being celebrated with great devotion and grandeur across Tamil Nadu today. Marking one of the most important festivals for Hindus, the celebrations began early in the morning as devotees took ritual baths and thronged to temples for darshan. Special pujas and worship services were held in temples across the state, with families gathering to offer prayers. The air is filled with devotion as offerings of kozhukattai, modakam, laddu, and sundal are made to clay idols of Lord Ganesha, which have been sold in markets for the past fortnight.
The festival, observed annually on the waxing moon Chaturthi day in the month of Avani, sees the installation of clay idols in homes, public pandals, and temples. In significant locations, large-sized idols have been installed for community worship. The rituals involve decorating the idols with arugampul and flower garlands and presenting an array of traditional sweets and fruits.
Stringent Security Measures in Place Across the State
In accordance with custom, these idols will be immersed in nearby water bodies on the 3rd or 5th day. However, this year’s celebrations are underpinned by stringent security protocols. Permission to install idols in public places was granted strictly based on last year’s allocations, with no new permissions issued. Throughout Tamil Nadu, permission has been granted for 80,000 idols at public places, a process managed by Hindu organizations and residential association administrators.
A massive security apparatus has been deployed to ensure peaceful celebrations. A total of one lakh police personnel are involved in security work across the state. Specific arrangements within Chennai are particularly robust; about 3,000 idols are to be installed in the city and its suburbs. The Chennai Police Commissionerate has granted permissions within its limits, with the Avadi and Tambaram Commissionerates allowing approximately 700 and 600 idols, respectively. For the immersion process on September 31st, 16,500 police personnel and 2,000 armed police have been deployed in the metropolitan area alone. Designated immersion points include Pattinapakkam, Srinivasapuram, Kasimedu Fishing Harbour, Thiruvottriyur, and Neelankarai.
Regional Celebrations and Temple Festivities
The festivities extend beyond Chennai, with major celebrations reported in other districts. In Coimbatore, the police have granted permission for idols at 712 locations in the metropolitan area, with 1,500 policemen, including armed police and the Rapid Action Force, providing security.
A highlight of the celebrations was the chariot procession held at the renowned Karpaka Vinayagar Temple in Pillaiyarpatti, Sivaganga District, yesterday evening. Today, on the main day of Ganesha Chaturthi, the Utsava idol was taken on a golden chariot around the temple tank (Thirukulam). The Theerthavari Utsavam was held subsequently. The day’s events will culminate with the special Mukkuruni Kozhukattai offering ceremony in the afternoon and conclude with the departure of the Panchamurthy Swamis at night.