Chennai: The festive spirit is very much in the air with massive and colouful idols of Vinayaka dotting the city roads with crowds of devotees paying obeisance to the Lord. A visit to the Marina beach on Vinayaka Chaturthi triggered mixed emotions. Even as the wafting sea breeze under an overcast sky made the weather near perfect, green concerns began stalking the mind as the young and old began enjoying the water of the Bay of Bengal by dipping their toes first into the incoming tide.
Every time the water hit their feet in force, people began recoiling a little more than just from the regular shock or thrill of making contact with the water. They were left vigorously shaking their feet in the water to get rid of the flowers, garlands, paper umbrellas and even banana leaves. Coming off the clay idols of Vinayaka, they became part of the detritus washing on to the shore in the evening from the Bay.
Scores of families with huge bags reached the beach front and kept their small Vinayaka idols on the sands, lit camphor in prayer and then dropped the idol in the sea. Sometimes, the idols themselves would wash ashore only to be sucked back by the next big wave, but not before they touched the feet of those enjoying the water. Besides, garlands and flowers lay strewn on the Marina sands as people departed.
A majority of them may not have worried about the practices that were working against the green principles of conservation and cleanliness. "Can't such clay idols be immersed in specific points on the beach as earmarked by the civic body? Can't people remove the flowers and other paraphernalia adorning the Lord and immerse only the clay idol? The sentiment of people who did not wish their feet to touch offerings to God were hurt buy the carelessness of the majority.
While the civic body and police are gearing up for immersion of giant Ganeshas at five points - Foreshore Estate, Neelankarai, Kasimedu, Ennore and Tiruvottiyuron Saturday and Sunday - the authorities can also think of streamlining the immersion of small clay idols by Chennaiittes at selected points on the beach and spare the sensitive ones the embarrassment of seeing the idols worshipped only a few hours ago being disrespected like this. Or should one pray to the elephant God who removes all obstacles to also get rid of the practices that are against conservation?
