Long queue outside temple on Vinayagar Chaturthi

 

The queue outside the Court Hill temple, and the area blockaded for the breaking of coconuts.

PETALING JAYA: The celebration of Vinayagar Chaturthi today, which marks the birthday of Lord Ganesha, was celebrated by Hindus in the country but with strict controls in many temples.

While most people celebrated with prayers at home, several temples across the country saw much bigger crowds this year compared to last year, as several curbs have been lifted for the fully vaccinated.

The most popular temple for this occasion, the Court Hill temple near Puduraya in Kuala Lumpur, normally draws a huge crowd but it was smaller this morning, according to some who went there to offer their prayers.

Still, the queue snaked down the hill to the main road this morning. Although it appeared longer than in the past, the long queue was attributed to the strict control enforced by the management committee.

“Under normal conditions, the management used to allow 100 worshippers each time but they reduced it to 25 because of the physical distancing among other SOPs. As a result, the queue was long.

“We also noticed that many elderly people were absent from the crowd, probably because of Covid-19 fears. But everything went fine under the watchful eyes of the police and DBKL enforcement teams,” a worshipper who was there from 4am told FMT.

He said a portion of the road was also blockaded to allow the worshippers to break coconuts, a Hindu ritual that is observed in most prayers.

There was also a crowd at Batu Caves, although it was smaller than usual.

Hindus pray to Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, for wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. - FMT