Betel leaves Vinayaka steals the show

Tirupati: In Thummalagunta of Tirupati rural mandal, a unique tradition unfolds every year as a variety of Lord Ganesha idols are crafted for devotees to visit and offer prayers. This year, in celebration of Vinayaka Chaviti, the devotees were treated to a special sigh - the ‘Betel leaves Vinayaka’ (Tamalapakula Vinayakudu), an idol made entirely of betel leaves.

The idol is drawing a large number of people from several places in the City and the neighbouring villages as they wished to have a glimpse of the novel Ganesha. Even on the second day on Sunday, the people thronged to see this idol which was unveiled on Saturday by former Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy.

Adding to the visual splendour, the setting for the betel leaves Vinayaka idol was designed to resemble a scene from the forest. This intricate set was crafted under the supervision of Hyderabad-based cinema architect Murali, along with his team of ten workers. They used over 10000 betel leaves and worked for seven days to create the environmentally friendly idol using natural clay, paper pulp and non-toxic paints.

The unique appearance of this Vinayaka attracted a massive number of devotees, resulting in traffic disruptions in Thummalagunta village for over an hour on Saturday. The eco-friendly betel leaves Vinayaka became a source of awe and devotion, embodying both tradition and innovation in its design. It was set up near the Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Temple and captivated the hearts of many.

Under the supervision of Bala Vinayaka Committee, former MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy along with his family performed special pujas. Accompanied by Vedic school students and priests, various rituals such as the Kalasha Puja, Ganapati Aradhana and the recitation of the Ganesh Shatanamavali were performed with great devotion.

The deity was also offered traditional delicacies such as Modakas along with other varieties of dishes, which were later distributed as prasadam to the devotees.

Apart from this, Lord Ganesha donned various other forms in the city as hundreds of idols were set up across the city. Every colony and apartment has set up one idol and celebrated the festival with pomp and gaiety. At Konka street, the Ganesh idol resembled a peacock while at Nehru street Vinayaka was seen crossing a canal with umbrella in hand symbolising the recent floods in Vijayawada. The youth and children have fully engaged in organising programmes at Ganesh pandals.

Meanwhile, the municipal Corporation and city Police have made elaborate arrangements for the immersion event of the Vinayaka idols on Monday. The event will be held at Vinayaka Sagar for which several precautions were taken by the authorities to make it a grand success.