Chandrayaan 3 rocket near Bhagwan Ganesh idol in Keelkattalai is attracting people.
The DMK-led state government in Tamil Nadu and the court did everything possible to pose a hindrance with regard to the installation and immersion of idols of Vinayagar. Permission has been granted in Chennai to install idols of Bhagwan Ganesha. A total 1,343 idols of idols of various sizes and in various avatars are being installed in different parts of the city.
After weeklong celebrations, a procession will be taken out with the idols of Bhagwan Ganesha and they will be immersed in the sea. Police said installation of idols, for performing pooja and immersion in water bodies has to be done in conformity with the guidelines issued by the Madras High Court, the TN Pollution Control Board, TN fire and Rescue Services dept and also ‘ no objection certificate issued by the Greater Chennai Corporation.
Vianaygar statues are of different sizes, various shapes have been installed in a well decorated pandals. Some were made of clay with natural dyes. Some was made with fruits and one was made with sugarcane. They are attracting people who queue in long lines to have a darshan of their loved deity who can be seen in every nook and corner of the village, city, town and housing complexes, river and tank, pond beds. He can be seen under a banyan, peepal or a Margosa tree.
But what attracted and become a cynosure of eyes is the ISRO chandrayan model. A local designer, Shanmugam has designed the rocket in honour of Chandrayaan-3, launched by the ISRO. It was installed near the Ganesh pandal in Keelkattalai . The model satellite has fire and smoke effect which thrills the young students.
In another place, bhagwan ganesha was made from 20 tons of sugarcane. Nearly 20 artisans toiled four days to make the ganesha in sugar cane. It is also attracting the devotees. In another place, a idol was made with Nava thaniyam (includes paddy, millet, wheat, sesame, chickpea, cowpea, gram, horse gram, and black gram). Last year in Nagapattinam, a 32 ft Vinayaka idol made of fig tree wood was installed.
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated across Tamil Nadu with religious fervour. Devotees flock to various Vinayakar temples in the state for offering special prayers. The festival is more popularly known as Vinayakar Chaturthi in the state. In households, people offered prayers to Ganesh idols made of clay, in line with the traditions.
Famous temples including the one at Pillaiyarpatti in Sivaganga district hold special prayers to mark the day, while a huge ‘kozhukattai’ (steamed dumpling) was offered at the Uchipillaiyar shrine atop the rockfort in Tiruchirappalli. It is a 150 kg Kozhukattai , a cooked rice flour dumpling filled with coconut and jiggery, is considered the favourite food for Vinayagar.
It is also called ‘Modagam” in being offered to God in various sizes at home and in temples along with black Channa Sundal ( boiled and fried with coconut crates, karry leaves and mustard seasoning. In Rockfort temple, instead of a regular dumpling , the ingredients of the sweet’s outer cooked rice dough parcel and fillings are mixed and steamed together. 50 percent of the 150 kg kozhukattai each is being offered to devotees at the Ucchipillaiyar and Sri Manicak Vinayagar shrines at Thayumanavar swamy temple .
The Giant Kozhukkattai is borne on sturdy wooden beems before being presented as Naivadiyam to Bhagwan Vinayagar at both shrines. The idea of making such giant one was inspired by that made for the Mukkuruni Vinayagar temple at the Madurai Meenakshi sundraswarar temple . in Trichy, one G. Grish’s family ( proprietor Agasthiyar publications, considered making this as a special privilege and blessing . Other than Covid 19 lockdown period ( it was a symbolical 10 kg one), they prepare this 150 kg giant kozhukattai every year.
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