CHENNAI: A petition has been filed before the Madras High Court seeking directions to abolish special paid tickets and VIP darshan facilities in temples across Tamil Nadu, alleging that the existing system creates economic-based inequality in access to deity darshan.
When the matter came up before the vacation bench comprising Justices GR Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan, the court directed the HR&CE department, and the Department of Tourism to file their response to the plea and posted the matter to May 29.
P Chockalingam (55), president, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), filed a petition before the Madras High Court, stating, “Tamil Nadu is richly endowed with thousands of temples. Previously, there was no provision that ensured temple entry was done only on the basis of class. Our Sanatana Dharma says there shall be no discrimination between rich and poor.”
He added that across temples, especially in large temples, ‘break darshan’, ‘special darshan’ and ‘VIP darshan’ — all kinds of darshan — have been introduced. “There is no end to the waiting for the common man to have darshan of God,” he stated. “As high as Rs 300 is being collected from devotees with the excuse of the large crowd in big temples. Charging Rs 400/500 for darshan in temples is an open promotion of class-based discrimination, which is called ‘Dravida Dharma’.”
The petitioner sought the abolishment of special paid tickets and VIP darshan— with exception for special free darshan for jeeyars, senior citizens, disabled, newly married couples, pregnant women, and devotees performing Thee Medhi — and also, a direction to all temples under the HR&CE department to have wheelchairs in every temple.