NE LEGAL BUREAU
CHENNAI, SEP 6
This year too, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department will take care of the idols kept in small temples and at doorsteps after poojas at homes for disposal, the Madras High Court was informed on Monday.
Advocate-General (AG) R Shanmugasundaram said this when a PIL from advocate K Gopinath of Tiruppur, also president of Hindu Munnetra Kazhagam, came up today.
In view of the Covid-19 pandemic situation, the government has banned public celebrations of Vinayaka Chaturthi or immersion of the idols in water bodies after taking them in procession.
The petitioner prayed for a direction to the government to consider his representation dated August 2 and take necessary action to notify standard operating procedures (SOP) to celebrate Vinayagar Chaturthi festival falling on September 10.
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The AG told the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and P D Audikesavalu the guidelines in this regard had been issued by the Union Government and the same had been forwarded to the states and Union Territories and appropriate measures had been put in place in Tamil Nadu.
The judges noted that the instructions issued by the State indicate that smaller temples would be kept open on the relevant date.
However, the Covid protocol should always be maintained at all times. As far as Ganesh idols are concerned, the State says that in keeping with the practice followed the previous year, the worshipped idols may be kept outside the doors for HR& CE department personnel to collect the same and immerse the idols in a regulated manner in any appropriate waterbody.
Since the petitioner accepts his concerns have been addressed by the State and it is evident that there is a plan in place to ensure that Vinayaka Chaturthi is celebrated but no compromise is made in respect of the Covid protocol, no further order is necessary, the bench said and closed the petition.
