India: Cricket fans pray for victory at Ganesh temple devoted to cricket

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Indian cricket fans prayed at a special 'Cricket Ganesh Temple' in Chennai on Tuesday, ahead of India's semifinal match against New Zealand at the currently underway ICC 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Founded by devotee of Lord Ganesh [Indian elephant-headed god] and diehard cricket fan K.R. Ramakrishnan, the shrine was set up with statues of the deity batting, bowling and keeping wickets and offers traditional Ganesh-puja [prayers], which includes the idols being bathed in milk and water with an offering of coconut. Explaining the uniqueness of the prayers he said "instead of Ganesh mantras [sacred texts] we chant cricket mantras and then break coconut in the name of cricket players and then like CWC, Cricket World Cup 2019, we inscribe on that coconut and keep it before him during the entire World Cup and we break it only after the final is won."

The idols are kept inside the sanctum of the temple with the walls covered with Indian flags. Ramakrishnan was reportedly inspired to make the shrine in 2001 after India secured a famous Test series win against Australia in Chennai.

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