Sree Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai
Mumbai: A ban was imposed on devotees going to Siddhivinayak temple to carry big garlands and coconuts as offerings to the deity resulting in creating annoyance among devotees. The Government, therefore, formed a committee to examine the matter. The Committee’s report has since been received. It has recommended formulation of certain rules for security purpose.
Shri. R. R. Patil, the Home Minister informed in the press conference that devotees will be allowed to carry garlands and coconuts in the temple and recommendations of the Committee will be implemented. He said that as per the recommendations of the Committee, more police force will be deployed. The Siddhivinayak Trust will be advised to engage more staff The Trust will also be instructed to get two more scanning machines. After implementation of this system, it will not be a problem to carry big garlands and coconuts to the temple.
Source: ‘Daily Sanatan Prabhat’
June 17, 2007
Coconuts, garlands banned in Siddhivinayak temple
The Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai has stopped allowing devotees to bring in big garlands and coconuts from Monday.
This, sources at the temple say, is based on Israeli intelligence advice given to Indian agencies. The Israelis have apparently told Indian authorities that terrorists may use garlands and coconuts in their attacks on Hindu shrines.
The advice is not specific to Siddhivinayak and the temple has decided to do it on its own accord. ”The Dadar police sent us a letter about this threat. We told devotees and vendors to implement these measures,” said Uday Pratap Singh, Trustee, Siddhivinayak Temple Trust.
The trust has built bomb proof walls, installed CCTVs and even put up netting to catch hand grenades lobbed across the wall. Given that over 10,000 coconuts pass through the temple doors each day temple authorities say it’s practically impossible to check every one of them.
For devotees, the coconut is an essential part of every Hindu ritual. ”It is a question of faith they must allow coconuts, garlands,” said a devotee. ”Without them our entire prayer is incomplete,” added another devotee. There was a time when people walked in and walked out of the Siddhivinayak temple without any fear.
But today even the apparently harmless and simple coconut has become an object of suspicion for security agencies. It is a sad reality and reflection of the insecure times we live in today.
Source: http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070015899
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