Dalits of A Kokkulam village enter, worship at Pekkaman temple

A Kannan, a villager, said that nearly 50 members of the Scheduled Caste stepped inside the temple and worshipped at 4 pm on Friday, amidst police security.

K Pandiarajan, a car driver and a resident of K Paraipatti village near Kokkulam, said that his father used to take him to the temple years ago. “With the blessing of God, we people were allowed inside the temple,” said Pandiarajan, brother of Muthaiya, the Dalit priest at the temple.

Thennarasu, another villager, said that apart from the temple priest, ‘Kodangi’ and ‘Mothamai’ who get the first respect  were also Dalits in this temple.

“Together, they were called ‘Kovilveetu Paraiyar,’ who won’t be allowed to mingle with other members of the SC in the locality. Thirty years ago, before the compound was raised, except for women, all Dalits visited the temple and there was no discrimination at all. We had planned the ‘Kovil Nulaivu Porattam’ on July 31, but much to our delight, the problem got solved even before that,” he said.

Dalits were allowed to enter and worship the temple, a day after DT Next highlighted the discrimination at the temple.

Sources added that as the temple is located on a government poramboke land, the HR&CE is mulling over to take over the temple.

Around 250 police personnel were deployed in the vicinity of the temple.