The Hindu
CHENNAI, INDIA, August 22, 2005: Following a court ruling, the Hindu Munnani is making “environmental-friendly” Vinayaka icons to be immersed in water bodies during this year’s Vinayaka Chaturti that falls on September 7. Its State organiser, N. Muruganandam, told presspersons here on Friday that instead of plaster of Paris, the members of the Hindu outfit would use only papier-mache for making the icons. Similarly, they would use only watercolors instead of paint. Special pujas would be performed for around 25,000 icons of Lord Vinayaka across the country, he said. A total of 400 icons, including 150 in Madurai, would be taken in procession in the district on September 9. The founder of Hindu Munnani, Ramagopalan, and South India Organiser of Ithikasa Sangatan Samiti, T.V. Rengarajan, would participate in the procession. “The objective of taking out a procession is to inculcate knowledge of Hinduism among children, to explain the philosophy of the Hindu festival among women and to eradicate untouchability and casteist differences in society,” he added. A procession and conference will be organized in Dindigul on December 18 to mark the silver jubilee of Hindu Munnani.