It was a quiet morning on Vinayaka Chathurthi festiva. morning.
People who chose to visit temples had to be content to stand outside the temple gates and pray in silence.
The temples were decorated and the rituals inside went on as per requirements; be it at the temple on Warren Road, known for its Carnatic music concerts at this this festival time, the Navashakthi Vinayaka Temple in Luz and at the Siddhi Buddhi Vinayaka Temple in R. A. Puram.
The scenario at the Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple at around 8am on Friday morning was different though.
Aircraft data and lease management consultant J. Chandrasekhar has been a Mylaporean for life and he was on his rounds this morning to take photographs of Mylapore on this festive day. He said the scenario at the eastern raja gopuram shocked him .”While the devotees were disallowed entry into the temple on Vinayaka Chathurthi day and missed the opportunity to have darshan of the Abhisekam, I at one hundred people inside the temple. There was a wedding scene and the temple was crowded.”
Many regular devotees at the temple told this writer on Thursday evening about their feeling of frustration and disappointment at not being allowed inside the Kapali temple on Friday and over the weekend.
Places of prayer are closed on Friday, weekends and festival days as per state rules.
– Report with inputs from S. Prabhu
