CHENNAI: Mayiladuthurai RDO has ordered the lifting of the ban on Dharmapuram adheenam's ‘Pattina Pravesam’.

Sources said that the Pattina Pravesam ritual has been in practice at Dharmapuram Adheenam Mutt in which the pontiff used to be carried on a silver palanquin. On December 13, 2019, Srilasri, Masilamani Gnanasambanda Pramacharya Swami took charge as the Dharmapuram Adheenam after the demise of Srilasri Shanmuga Desiga Gnanasambanda Paramacharya Swamy.

To mark the new adheenam taking charge, he was carried on a palanquin as part of the 'Pattina Pravesam' event. A similar event was held for the Dharmapuram adheenam on December 24, 2019, at Vaitheeswaran temple. However, in 2020, Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani condemned the practice saying it was abandoned long back. Veeramani while condemning the act as a human rights violation warned the adheenam to stop the practice or face a series of protests. Against this backdrop, the Pattinam Pravesam, scheduled on May 22, was denied permission by the RDO Mayiladuthurai J Balaji, who recommended the Mayiladuthurai DSP stop it as it would create law and order problems.

The issue resonated with the TN Assembly. Explaining this in the assembly, Minister Sekar Babu said, "The government will find a solution by talking to the adheenam about the ‘Pattina Pravesam’ issue."

Meanwhile, Dharmapuram adheenam spoke to reporters in Mayiladuthurai today, he said that then Stalin had given his verbal permission for ‘Pattina Pravesam’.

In this situation, the Mayiladuthurai RDO has ordered that the ban imposed on the ‘Pattina Pravesam’of Dharmapuram adheenam be lifted.

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