The Seychelles Hindu community, locals, and tourists gathered in front of the Navasakthi Vinayagar Temple last Friday night for the annual Vinayagar Chaturthi Festival.
The highlight of the festival, was the colorful and lighted chariot procession in which the deity of the Lord Vinayagar sits. It was drawn by devotees to the accompaniment of the Nathaswaram music, starting from the temple moving along Quincy Street, Revolution Avenue, Harrison Street, Lodge Street and back to the temple.
Prior to that, worshippers inside the temple were receiving blessings of Lord Vinayagar, reciting prayers and chanting in front of the deity Lord Vinayagar. The Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, Alain St.Ange, and Indian High Commissioner, Sanjay Kumar Panda, graced the event with their presence, as they joined devotees in the festival. They then received flower garlands around their necks and received gifts from the devotees.
Minister St.Ange was given a tour of the temple prior to the short religious ceremony in front of the deity. He then took part in the praying ceremony, whereby devotees asked for their blessings from Lord Vinayagar.
The Vinayagar Chathurthi Festival or Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated all over the Hindu world to mark the anniversary of “Lord Vinayagar.” The procession, which has been an annual event in the Seychelles, has already built its name in our country’s culture. Apart from the Hindu community in Seychelles, there is always a large crowd of locals and tourists which joins the crowd of onlookers outside the temple to watch the colorful procession.
Seychelles is a founding member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) .