Madurai (Tamil Nadu): Vinayaka Chaturthi, the divine birthday of Lord Ganesha, was celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety across Tamil Nadu on Saturday.
Special pujas, Abishekams, and Maha Ganapathy Homams were performed to the deity—the god, whom the Hindus believe would remove obstacles, vanquish hindrances, protect devoted votaries, and without him no religious rites were either performed or completed.”
Lakhs of ardent devotees thronged Vinayaka temples across the state and offered their prayers since early this morning.
In Madurai city, thousands of devotees, including women and children, congregated at the famous “Mukkuruni Vinayakar,” a sub-shrine located inside the world-renowned Sri Meenakshi-Sundareswarar Temple, and offered their benedictions.
The Vinayaka idol was adorned with a silver robe on the occasion.
A giant-sized “Kozhukattai” (a favourite food of Lord Vinayaka made of rice flour, coconut, jaggery, and ghee) was offered to the deity, and later it was distributed as prasadam to the devotees.
Thousands of devotees from various parts of the state offered worship to Lord Karpaga Vinayakar at the historic Sri Karpaga Vinayakar Temple at Pillaiyarpatti in neighbouring Sivaganga district.
The 1600-year-old temple is the only one of its kind in Tamil Nadu that deserves the pride for having a six-foot “rock-cut” Vinayaka idol.
A giant Kozhukkattai, also popularly called “Mothagam,” was offered to the deity and distributed to the devotees after traditional rituals.
Reports reaching here said thousands of devotees climbed a 272-foot-high “Rockfort” (hillock) in Tiruchirapalli to offer prayers to the ancient “Uchi Pillaiyar” temple and the famous Manicka Vinayakar shrine at the bottom of the hillock.
Two Kozhukkatais, each weighing 75 kg, were offered to the Uchi Pillaiyar and Manicka Vinayakar deities and later distributed to the devotees.
Reports reaching here said thousands of men, women, and children thronged the famous Sri Arulmigu Mundhi Vinayakar Temple at Puliakulam in Coimbatore, offering worship to the elephant-headed god, said to be the largest Vinayakar statue in the Indian subcontinent.
