In holy shrine, fan spins only for VIPs, not for devotees

The temple is among the holiest destinations in the country and people from various states visit it regularly. Among all the sannadhis, most footfalls are seen in those of Ramanathaswamy and the Goddess. 

There are three queues — one for VIPs, one for those who pay Rs 50 and another one that allows free darshan. Though there are 12 fans in the sannadhis, only one that is in the VIP section works, while the common who stand in queues are forced to sweat it. 

A priest in the temple, requesting anonymity, said that usually temples are the best-constructed structures and all facilities, including proper ventilation, space for lighting and water would be available. The Ramanathaswamy temple is no exemption to it, but in 1983, a Lakshmana idol was stolen from the temple by thieves, who gained entry through a window near the Amman sannadhi. Though the idol was never retrieved, officials closed the windows permanently by sealing them with concrete stones. Because of this, there is no ventilation in the Amman sannadhi and devotees are forced to endure it. Though fans were installed, none of them work except the one in the VIP area where higher officials often visit. Despite higher officials being alerted about the issue, they don’t seem to be keen about fixing it, added the priest.