Hosur, September 16, 2013: Over 300 Vinayaka idols were taken out in a procession amid tight security in Hosur town on Sunday.

The district administration had earlier issued directions for taking out the processions. Over 2,000 police personnel drawn from entire western zone were deployed for bandobast in Hosur.

The security arrangements were monitored by the Inspector General of Police S. Davidson Devasirvatham and Deputy Inspector General of Police (Salem Range) Sanjay Kumar and Superintendents of Polices’ from all the western districts.

Police gave permission to volunteers to take out the processions only through permitted routes.

They were not permitted to stop the procession en route. Some idols were stopped 50 metres ahead of Big Mosque during evening prayer.

Idols made of plaster of Paris and other chemicals were not allowed. The processions, organised by the Hindu Munnani, began at around 10am and ended at 8pm. The procession started from Nethaji road passed off Gandhi Statue, MG Road, Taluk Office Road, Uzhavar Santhai Road, Royakottai Road, Housing Board, Mathigiri Road before being immersed at Nagondapalli Lake.As a precautionary measure power was shut in the entire Hosur up to Four Road junction at Mathigiri. Power connection to almost all the residential and commercial houses on the busy thoroughfare in the town were disconnected by the Tangedco employees to prevent electrocution during procession Residents and shop keepers were forced to go without power for almost 24 hours. A line man T. Narayanappa said that the snapped lines would be restored only on Monday morning. Prasad, a shop keeper at M.G. Road, said snapping of power line was not necessary, as it could be lifted if the big idols were passing through the streets by the organisers.

Source: The Hindu, September 16, 2013