2.5K Vinayagar idols immersed across Chennai under tight security

In Chennai City Police limits, at least 1,200 idols were taken in procession and immersed at the designated spots in Neelangarai, Pattinapakkam, Tiruvottiyur and Kasimedu.

A Ganesha idol being immersed into the sea as part of the Vinayagar Chaturthi festival at Pattinapakkam on Sunday  Photo | Martin Louis

CHENNAI: Around 2,500 Vinayagar idols, including those from Chennai, Avadi and Tambaram City Police limits, were immersed at designated places in and around Chennai on Sunday. No untoward incidents were reported and the immersion processions were completed smoothly.

In Chennai City Police limits, at least 1,200 idols were taken in procession and immersed at the designated spots in Neelangarai, Pattinapakkam, Tiruvottiyur and Kasimedu.

At Tondiarpet, members of the Burma Tamil Jamaath broke coconuts and offered prayers before taking a Vinayagar idol placed at Navalar Nagar in a procession for immersion. Members of the Muslim community led the procession, followed by the Vinayagar idol. More than 100 police personnel were deployed for security.

Traffic police sources said there was slow movement of traffic on some stretches where vehicles carrying the idols were high in number, but the situation was sorted out as soon as possible. “Only on Loop Road in Pattinapakkam, there was a long line of vehicles carrying the idols waiting to enter the place. The immersion process was immediately expedited and the traffic was cleared,” a police officer told TNIE.

In Avadi City Police limits, 788 idols were immersed at Pulicat, Ennore Ramakrishna Nagar and Kattupalli. Around 1,600 police personnel were deployed as part of the security arrangements. In Tambaram police limits, 500 idols were immersed at the designated spots.

Meanwhile, later in the evening, a clash broke out between two groups who were waiting to immerse idols at Pattinapakkam. An argument that broke out escalated into a clash and they attacked each other with bamboo poles. However, they escaped before the police could reach the spot.

Speaking to the media, the people who were waiting at Pattinapakkam to immerse the idols said the cranes were less in number and this increased the waiting time. This pile up caused traffic snarls. More number of cranes would have quicken the process, they said.

As of 9 pm, the number of idols immersed in the Chennai city limits stood at 2,054 with 100 to 120 more idols lined up.