CHENNAI: Tension prevailed at the Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram on Monday when a group of dikshidars clashed with the Hindi Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) department authorities over replacement of the Thillai Govindaraja Perumal temple flagpole.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, thousands of devotees from across the country visit the shrine on a daily basis to offer prayers and the temple has recently been gearing up for the Aani Thirumanjanam and Aarudra Darshan that happens in the month of December.

The flagpole at the Thillai Govindaraja Perumal temple has been damaged by changing weather conditions following which the temple authorities decided to change it.

On learning about this, several dikshidars from the Nataraja Temple gathered at the premises and pointed out that there is a legal tangle with regards to this issue and argued that the flagpole should not be renewed or changed.

Several police personnel were posted outside the temple for security while senior cops negotiated with the protestors.

The dikshidars said that while they were not against repairing the flagpole, they argued that modifying it with new rings or replacing it would not be acceptable.

Following this, the temple authorities have reportedly decided to give a letter to the dikshidars stating that restoration works would be carried out in the existing flagpole.