Maharashtra: Ganesha devotees disappointed after dry coconuts banned in-flight

By Ashoke Raj
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 8 (ANI): After receiving the holy darshan of Lalbaugcha Raja and the Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai, the devotees who were returning to their destinations expressed their displeasure with the airline's policy against bringing dry coconuts on board.
"The people returning after Lalbaug and Siddhivinayak temple darshan are disappointed at the airport these days because they are leaving their Prasad, especially coconut with a heavy heart at the airport because they are banned onboard," a Mumbai airport security official told ANI.
After seeing Siddhivinayak and Lalbagh, the devotees wish to bring dry coconuts home for their family members as prasad, however owing to security concerns, they are requested to leave the coconut at the airport since they are forbidden on board planes because they pose a fire risk, the official said.
The rule dates back to 1971, when two terrorists of Kashmiri origin hijacked an Indian Airlines plane from Srinagar to Jammu, carrying 26 passengers and a crew of four, using a dry coconut-like grenade and a toy pistol.
According to an Air India official, "item such as dry coconut (copra) highly inflammable is prohibited in the flight."
Roshan Roy, a passenger travelling from Mumbai to Delhi by Air India AI-0677 on September 8, was stopped at the airport security check-in area.
Roy shared his unhappiness when he saw several dried coconuts at the airport, where other fellow passengers had left their dry coconuts at the airport, but he eventually reconciled with the security personnel as the matter is related to security.
"This passenger was carrying dry coconut (copra) prasad with hand luggage and Security official stopped him as copra is in the flammable category," a security official told Rajesh at the airport.
According to Lalbaug organisation committee, physical darshan was banned for two years due to the COVID pandemic, but this year to date more than crores of devotees have visited Lalbaug for the divine darshan. (ANI)