Chennai/Hyderabad/Bengaluru: Vinayaka Chathurthi was celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety across the south on Saturday, with prominent leaders, including Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy joining the celebrations in their respective states.A festive mood prevailed as people gathered in large numbers to offer worship in temples and grandeur marked the occasion with the installation of large Ganesha idols in Chennai and Hyderabad, among other cities.Prominent Ganesha temples such as the ones at Pillayarpatti in Sivaganga and Malaikottai in Tiruchirappalli, both in Tamil Nadu, and the Manakula Vinayakar temple in neighbouring Puducherry teemed with devotees.Telangana CM Reddy participated in a well-attended Ganesh Puja at Khairatabad in Hyderabad. JD(S) leader and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy held prayers at Bengaluru. Celebrations were also held in some temples in Kerala.In Tamil Nadu, the famous Ganesha temple (Malaikottai Uchhi Pillayar) atop a hill in Tiruchirappalli was decked up for the festival.In keeping with the tradition, a huge Kozhukattai, a sweet made from rice flour, jaggery and coconut was made for the deity. It was packed in a big vessel and it was suspended from a decorated bamboo pole and it was carried all the way upto the hill temple by people to offer it to Lord Ganesha.Traditional music was played and a pontiff led the procession of offering the mega sized sweet, which weighs over a 100 kilos, to the Lord. Similarly, the festival was celebrated with spiritual fervour at the ancient Pillayarpatti temple with devotees lining up the temple precincts to have darshan and a ‘Theerthavari’ (poojas in temple tank) was held.Clay idols of Lord Ganesha were installed at homes and poojas were held.Market places wore a festive look as people flocked shops and roadside stalls to buy pooja items, flowers and fruits.Ganesh pandals, organised by Hindu outfits and individuals as well featured several themes including ‘environment friendly, farmer Ganapathi,’ (Chennai) and a ‘justice dispensing court Ganapathi’ (Krishnagiri).At some places in the state, police denied permission to install Ganesha idols due to alleged violations, like failing to secure proper permission and flouting norms on ensuring environment friendly idols.In Chennai, the actors’ association, (Nadigar Sangam-South Indian Artistes Association) held ‘Annadhanam,’ a distribution of food to the people.In neighbouring Puducherry, people thronged Manakula Vinayagar temple since early morning to offer worship to the presiding deity. Special poojas and other rituals were performed to Lord Ganesha.Chief Minister N Rangasamy, Home Minister A Namassivayam and leaders of political parties were among those who greeted the people on the occasion.In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu participated at a Vinayaka Chathurthi celebrations in Vijayawada.In Telangana, the nine-day-long festivities commenced on a grand scale and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy attended the puja at the famous pandal at Khairatabad in Hyderabad, known for the giant size of the idol.This year a 70 ft idol was installed for worship at the pandal, which attracts thousands of devotees during the festival observed for nine days.Governor Jishnu Dev Varma visited the Khairatabad pandal in the evening and offered prayers.Several pandals were set up across the state, especially in Hyderabad. The state government has made elaborate security arrangements for the festival and also for the immersion of idols in water bodies after the conclusion of the worship.Clay Ganesha idols are gaining more popularity with each passing year in the state, as part of initiatives to promote greener celebrations.At Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh, a 63-feet Ganesha idol made of eco-friendly materials was set up on the banks of Tungabhadra river and Hubballi in Karnataka witnessed elaborate security arrangements for the festival.In a visual treat, at Koppal (Karnataka), 2,000 students came together and sat down and also stood in patterns to form specific shapes to create the form of a giant Ganesha.In Karnataka, the Ganesh Chaturthi was a peaceful affair.Even in Shivamogga city, where the police were fully prepared following violence during the Eid Milad procession in October last year, resulting in the imposition of section 144 of CrPC, the festival was celebrated in peace.In Mysuru, the elephants that arrived from the Nagarhole forest for Dasara training were offered a special ‘Gaja pooja’ to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi.Meanwhile, the politicians who fought over Karnataka government’s circular insisting FSSAI-certified prasadam be distributed at pandals, with BJP calling it an act of sacrilege, stood united as they urged people to make sure they eat ‘unadulterated’ prasadams and to celebrate ‘sustainably’.Union Minister Prahalad Joshi, who had attended Ganesh puja procession in Hubbali, told reporters that people should ensure hygiene and cleanliness while preparing food and snacks to distribute to devotees as prasadam.Tamil Nadu police said processions for the immersion of the idols will be held on different dates in the state. As many as 64,217 police personnel have been deployed to regulate traffic and maintain law and order during the installation and immersion of the idols.
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