Hindus in Seychelles pray to save the world population from coronavirus |14 April 2020

The Hindu temple on Quincy Street, like other places of worship, have been barred from hosting religious ceremonies due to the coronavirus pandemic

Hindus living in Seychelles observed a special prayer on Saturday in their respective houses in order to save the world’s population from the coronavirus.

According to Hindu religion, every month a special Pooja (prayer) called Sankadahara Chathurthi is made on the fourth day following the Full moon and this month it fell last Saturday.

This celebration Sankadahara Chathurthi is attributed to Lord Vinayagar also called Lord Ganesh who is the presiding deity of the Hindu temple at Quincy Street in Victoria.

On Sankadahara Chathurthi day devotees follow a whole day fasting and in the evening they assemble in the temple to take part in the special Pooja with total devotion, but this time due to the coronavirus pandemic and as advised by the Ministry of Health, devotees and the general public are not allowed to enter the temple premises, hence the reason they performed the Pooja and prayer in their respective houses. During their prayers, they asked Lord Vinayagar to shower his blessings upon the world’s populations to save their lives from the coronavirus.

Contributed by Veera Pandiyan Pillay, Anse Royale