CHENNAI, INDIA, November 22, 2002: Field hockey may be India’s national game but ask any Indian which sport is the national obsession, and he would say cricket. Everything comes to a standstill when the Indian team is playing. And if India wins, which of late has not been often, it becomes a cause for national celebration. In the latest indication of how Indian fans’ love for cricket borders on obsession, a devotee of Lord Ganesha has installed a “cricket icon” for all Hindus to worship. The temple in Chennai, which is dedicated to cricket Lord Ganesha, was consecrated by Ramakrishnan, a Hindu devotee of Lord Ganesha. Ramakrishnan claims that the temple came up as a result of a vow he had taken during a match. There is one Ganesha icon with a trunk pointing to the right for good luck to right-handed batsmen and another with its trunk pointed to the left for good luck to left-handed batsmen. And such is the faith of cricket enthusiasts that many come to the temple before an Indian match to pray for the team’s success.
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