MADURAI: The Madurai bench of Madras High Court on Thursday directed the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department to file its response to a plea seeking to allow devotees to observe fasting in the pragaram inside Tiruchendur Murugan Temple during Kanda Sashti festival.

Chithranganathan, BJP district secretary, Thoothukudi, in his petition, that came up for hearing before a Division Bench of Justices R Mahadevan and J Sathya Narayana Prasad, stated that it’s customary for the devotees to undertake fasting inside the temple pragaram in Tiruchendur during the Sashti festival, which began on October 25 and concludes on October 30 this year, when ‘Soorasamharam’ ritual is performed.

But, this time, the devotees have not been permitted to undertake fasting inside the temple. Citing these, the petitioner sought permission to allow fasting by devotees inside the temple.

The bench, after hearing the arguments, questioned whether a similar practice of fasting is allowed in Tirumala temple and asked if temples in TN were ‘chatrams.’ If money’s paid, devotees can take darshan of the Lord in Tiruchendur Temple. God is equal in the eyes of devotees and temples are not meant only for the well-off people.

The bench further said things done inside the temple alone would not go right, but only through true faith.

Citing these, the bench said new regulations should be in place in temples under the HR&CE control in Tiruchendur, Palani, Madurai Meenakshi Temple and Rameswaram.

Moreover, the HR&CE Department should insist the government not to allow performing of rituals, including ‘yagam’ inside temple pragarams, the bench said and posted the hearing of the case to November 16.

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