A day before the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28, a photo of the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam head seated in a chartered plane on the way to New Delhi went viral. The image spawned both widespread curiosity and criticism. Why was a special plane arranged for an Adheenam head? Why was he given VVIP treatment when the President of India Droupadi Murmu was not invited to the inauguration?
These were the questions raised by many. Soon, a photo of the Adheenam heads standing beside prime minister Narenadra Modi with the sengol also grabbed attention, sparking curiosity about who the men in saffron robes are. Until the inaugural event, surely only a few outside Tamil Nadu would have heard about this particular Saivite sect.
