Residents gathering in a street to witness the idol procession in Nagapattinam | EXPRESS
NAGAPATTINAM: As part of Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations, a 32-feet-tall wooden Ganesha idol, Shri Viswaroopa Vinayagar, weighing about 16 tonnes, was taken out in procession through the streets of Nagapattinam on Wednesday. In total, around 250 idols were put up in the district.
The procession of Shri Viswaroopa Vinayagar has been taking place in Nagapattinam for around 35 years. This year's procession was organised by a committee with the same name. It is said that Vinayagar idols made of plaster were used in the past. Later, organisers decided to make a permanent idol out of fig-tree wood to be installed at the Shri Neelayathatchiamman Temple in the district.
Its making began about a year ago in Aandipandal in Tiruvarur district by a team of sculptors - led by Sthapathi Thirunavukarasu - at a cost of `1 crore. The procession began at Shri Neelayathatchiamman Temple and went past four temple streets. It went past Anna Silai, Abirami Amman Thidal, Nagapattinam General Hospital, New Bus Stand, Kadambadi and Nagore.
An idol made of clay was immersed in the Vettaru River near Nagore. It is a custom to immerse Ganesha idols in waterbodies, including Nagapattinam New Beach, Kameshwaram, Velankanni and Vedaranyam. Idols will also be immersed in rivers such as Kaduvaiyaru, Vettaru, Vellaiyaru, Arasalaru, Pandavaiyaru, and Harichandra over the next one week.
Similarly, around 300 Ganesha idols were put up in Mayiladuthurai, and they will be immersed in waterbodies such as Poompuhar, Tharangambadi and the Koozhaiyaru River. They are currently immersed in rivers such as Cauvery, Kollidam, Uppanaru and Veera Chozhan.
