No offerings inside Siddhivinayak today

Mumbai: In a bid to prevent any untoward incident, the police and the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust have decided to not allow any offerings — including coconuts, steel boxes and prasad — on the temple premises on Tuesday, which happens to be Angarki Chaturthi.

Over 25 lakh devotees visit the Siddhivinayak temple at Prabhadevi on Angarki Sankashti Chaturthi, which is considered as an auspicious day by believers. Sanjiv Patil, chief executive officer of Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust, said an advisory had first come from the police. “We decided to designate a place outside the temple for the devotees to place their offerings. It won’t be allowed on the temple premises.” Mr Patil, added, “People will be able to take their mobiles and purses inside but they won’t be allowed to bring laptops and carry bags. Around 25 lakh devotees visit the temple on this day every year and it is not practical to use scanning machines for all of them. “The temple’s security personnel and police officials, however, will frisk every devotee.

Furthermore, vehicular movement is expected to be affected on SVS Road, SK Bole Road, Gokhale Road, Kakasaheb Gadgil Marg, Sayani Road and Appasabheb Marathe Marg, with the traffic police issuing an advisory that traffic movement on these five roads would be restricted between 6 am and midnight on Tuesday.

Entry of vehicles on SK Bole Road from Gokhale Road and on NM Kale Road from Gokhale Road will be banned. Also, vehicles will not be allowed to enter SK Bole Road from Agar Bazaar junction. Entry to SK Bole Road will be allowed from Siddhivinayak Junction only while entry of vehicles to Shankar Ghanekar Road from Leningrad junction will be banned.