Chennai: Mobile phone locker facility made free at two city temples

CHENNAI: The mobile phone locker facility for devotees at Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Temple in Triplicane and Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore has been made free of cost from October.

Earlier, devotees were charged Rs 5 to deposit their phones in the lockers. However, the difficulty in providing change during peak hours reportedly led to long waiting times.

Since September, devotees have been advised not to carry mobile phones inside the temples and to deposit them in lockers provided on the premises. The Rs 5 fee reportedly added to the time taken to deposit phones, particularly during periods of heavy footfall.

Rajesh Kumar, a resident of Triplicane, said that the locker facility was initially useful, but the process later became time-consuming. “The locker facility was useful to some extent when it was introduced. Later, people started spending more time depositing their phones,” he explained. “When devotees were also allowed to carry their phones, questions arose as to why Rs 5 was charged for the locker facility and why it was later stopped. At present, not many people are coming forward to use the locker facility.”

Ramalingam, a resident of Mylapore, said mobile phones were necessary in certain situations and devotees should be allowed to use them during emergencies. “Carrying a mobile phone inside the temple is necessary in some situations but not for taking photographs and videos inside the temple. Mobile phones are essential during emergencies to contact family members or others,” he added. “Therefore, instead of completely restricting mobile phone use, devotees may be allowed to use them only for emergencies while avoiding unnecessary photography and videography.”

Deepak, another Mylapore resident, welcomed the decision to make the locker facility free. “If necessary, devotees can carry their phones with them after switching them off. This helps avoid standing in queues to deposit phones in lockers and reduces crowding. It also allows devotees to proceed for darshan without delay,” he said.

A temple official said that the facility had been made free to reduce inconvenience to devotees.