Ganesh festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu

The Ganesh festival, also called Vinayaka Chaturthi, was celebrated across Tamil Nadu Monday with people performing poojas in the morning to the idol of the elephant-headed god moulded in wet clay.

People also thronged Vinayaka or Ganesha temples, where special prayers were conducted before the grandly decorated idols.

Many houses wore a festive look, as people held special prayers at home too.

The aroma of "kozhakattai", a rice flour and jaggery dumpling, wafted through many kitchen windows here. After offering prayers on the occasion, neighbours and friends got together to share the "kozhakattais".

Roadside vendors did brisk business even Monday morning, selling Vinayaka idols, flowers and holy arugam grass.

The clay-moulded idols were priced between Rs.40 and Rs.200.

Public celebrations were also held in most parts of capital Chennai with huge Ganesh idols placed inside decorative marquees as loudspeakers blared devotional songs.

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has requested devotees to avoid immersion of painted idols in water bodies to avoid pollution.