After the state’s HR&CE department was denied access to temple records, it constituted a committee, asking people for complaints against the temple. In a period of two days it received nearly 14,000 complaints, including allegations of child marriages, theft of jewels worth crores and missing idols
File photo of Natarajar Temple. Cuddalore district website
Tamil Nadu’s famous Chidambaram Nataraja temple is again in news for all the wrong reasons as an Inquiry Committee has received over 14,000 complaints of the presence of an ‘untouchability wall’, conduction of child marriages, disrespect towards women devotees, and financial irregularities.
The temple has long been mired in controversies over alleged irregularities in its administration. Responding to the allegations, the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department had constituted an inquiry committee.
According to The News Minute, the inquiry committee received a total of 19,405 petitions in connection with temple affairs in just two days. Out of them, as many as 14,098 petitions reportedly pertained to allegations ranging from the temple’s faulty conduct of rituals and practices to financial irregularities.
What are the allegations against the Chidambaram Natarajar Temple?
The most common complaint received by the committee pertained to the non-provision of receipt for public contributions in cash, gold, silver, jewels, etc.
The Hindu reported that receipts were not issued even to devotees who paid Rs 10,000 to have prasadam delivered to their doorstep.
Some petitioners urged the HR&CE Department to demolish the ‘untouchability wall’ raised at the south gate of the temple. The wall was allegedly raised by the Dikshithars, blocking the gate through which Nandanar, the only Dalit among the 63 Shaivite Nayanmar saints, is said to have entered the temple.
While some petitioners sought the appointment of Othuvars or traditional singers to sing the Thevara Thirumuraigal in every Kala Pooja, others alleged that the rituals are not happening at the right time.
Complainants have also urged the authorities to install hundi (money collection boxes) inside the temple and to provide receipts for poojas and archanas.
A number of devotees have also made serious allegations of child marriages being conducted inside the temple. It was also alleged that women devotees were not being treated with respect.
As per the reports, some have alleged that Rs 20,000 was being charged to perform at the Natyanjali event, essentially stopping performers from economically backward classes from participating in it.
Many petitioners have called for the enumeration of idols in the temple and demanded scholarly research into the inscriptions. They alleged that the temple’s priests have taken jewels worth crores from the temple.
As per The Hindu report, an inquiry was also requested to be made into how the idol of Andal went missing.
What happens now?
The HR&CE Department had referred the copies of 17,219 petitions in five volumes to the Secretary, Podu Dikshithars, and called for his explanation within 15 days. The notice was issued on 18 July.
The News Minute reported that according to HR&CE Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran IAS, the Podu Dikshithar has said that the department has no power to call for an inspection of the temple or related records.
Tamil Nadu government vs priests: The tussle over famous Chidambaram Temple
The Department had to approach the people after the temple management refused access to the records.
“We had initially approached the management with a team to access the records, but the Dikshithars opposed it. So, we eventually decided to collect direct feedback from the people to know if they liked the services provided by these hereditary custodians,” the Commissioner said, as reported by TNM.
He said that the department was planning to send a special team to the temple to verify the gold and silver jewels in the temple’s possession.
“Podu Dikshithars have sought time for this verification process. I hope it will take place in the second week of August. We will verify the gold and silver articles by cross-checking it with the official records of 2008 to 2012 to know whether there are any contradictions,” he added.
With inputs from agencies
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