Hindu procession attracts large crowd |01 September 2014

The Navasakthi Vinayagar Temple on Quincy Street was filled with worshippers on Friday night who had come to celebrate the Hindu vinayagar chathurthi festival. They recited Ganesh chathurthi prayers to the background beat of nathaswaram spiritual music. All were asking Lord Vinayagar for blessings, good wishes and success in life. It was a celebration marking the birth of Lord Vinayagar also called Lord Ganesh.
 
Present at the religious gathering were the Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange and the Indian high commissioner to Seychelles Sanjay Kumar Panda.

 After the religious ceremony inside the temple, the congregation moved outside still reciting Ganesh chathurthi prayers along with nathaswaram music for the annual Sri Navasakthi Vinayagar chariot procession. The procession marked the end of 10 days of celebrations which had started in the morning with prayers and spiritual bathing at the Ile Perseverance (2) beach and later with lunch at the temple.

A large crowd had gathered outside the temple to watch the start of the colourful procession on Friday evening. After some more prayers and ritual fire lighting the Sri Navasakthi Vinayagar chariot procession wound its way through various streets in Victoria, with the chariot being pulled by devotees who were reciting prayers to the beat of nathaswaram music.

Also noticeable was the large number of women pulling the chariot.

The procession went from Quincy Street through Revolution Avenue, Harrison Street, Lodge Street and back to Quincy Street where it all ended.

Fruit and Indian sweets were given out along the way to those present.

The vinayagar chathurthi festival is celebrated annually in all Hindu temples worldwide.

According to the chairman of the Seychelles Hindu Kovil Sangam, Veera Pandiyad Pillay, the Navasakthi Vinayagar temple is celebrating 30 years of existence this year and  the association will later build a cultural centre behind the temple on a piece  of land it has bought with the help of the government and generous donations from the public.

Mr Pillay said that locals and tourists will be free to come to the centre, when completed, to learn more about the Indian culture.