Siddhivinayak bans coconuts, flowers

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Mumbai: Lord Siddhivinayak is the favourite deity of the people Mumbai. He is a deity who even the high and mighty bow down to. During stressful times they make several offerings so that their prayers are heard.

But the times are changing at the Siddhivinayak Temple. The temple authorities have banned the devotees from offering coconuts and garlands.

Says CEO, Shri Siddhivinayak Ganpati Mandir Trust, Hanumant Jagtap, "We received an advisory from the police following a security threat so we had to make a move like this.”

The ban has already affected the business of coconut and garland vendors.

However, the enterprising devotees have their own ways to getting around the ban.

Says a devotee Priyanka, “We will offer small garlands.”

“Breaking the coconut sybmolises breaking our ego. If we give up our ego with a clear heart, there is no need to break a coconut,” adds another devotee.

The temple was believed to be highly vulnerable to terrorist strikes that led it to construct a controversial crash-proof wall around it.

The temple also has installed surveillance cameras and metal detectors and devotees are often frisked.

The ban on coconuts is just another security measure and nobody's complaining.