Lovers turn to 'cupid Vinayaka' temple on Valentine's day

Activists of Right wing Hindu fringe groups like Srirama Sene may argue celebration of Valentine's Day is alien to Indian culture, but a Lord Ganesh temple in Tamil Nadu known as 'Cupid Vinayaka' comes alive on V-days with scores of love-struk couples thronging to it.
    
While elsewhere couples prefer to spend their time in malls, parks, beaches and restaurants to make today's day extra special, a large number of youths here visit the 'Kadhal Vinayagar'(cupid Vinayaka) to pray for the success of their love.
     
The Vinayaka of this tiny temple near here got the name as it has become a centre of many love marriages.
     
Administrator of the temple Raja said during the past two years alone more than 40 love marriages have taken place in the temple, most of them being inter-caste weddings.
     
Lovers who do not get the approval for marriage from their parents prefer to get married at the temple.
     
"Lovers get married at the temple and go to the nearby Sub-Register's office to get their marriages registered," he said.
     
"Those who got married at this temple visit here on Valentine's day as a thanks giving gesture," he said.
     
The original name of the temple was "Selva (wealth) Vinayakar" temple. "But, thanks to cupid, no one calls the the temple by that name," he said.