Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) P.K. Sekarbabu on Saturday said the government would maintain a cordial relationship with the Adheenams (mutts) in the State.
Speaking to reporters after inaugurating a guest house at Dharmapuram near here along with Sri Masilamani Desika Gnanasambandha Paramachariya Swamigal, the Dharmapuram Adheenam, Mr. Sekarbabu said several Saivaite mutts had been serving the society for centuries and working for the development of Tamil, its culture and tradition. The State government would respect them and maintain cordial relations with all of them.
To a question on the decision of the HR&CE Department to carry out an inspection at the Sri Natarajar temple in Chidambaram, the Minister said it had nothing to do with the day-to-day affairs of the temple. The HR&CE Department had just implemented a High Court order permitting the devotees to offer worship from the Kanakasabhai Mandapam of the temple, he said.
The department had received a number of complaints from devotees on the functioning of the temple and the differences among dikshitars. The HR&CE Department had the right to inquire into the complaints. Hence, a notice had been sent to the temple to carry out an inspection.
The temple administration had also replied to the notice. There was no move on the part of the department to take control of the temple, Mr. Sekarbabu said and added that it would handle the matter fairly by taking into account all aspects.
The Chief Minister had clearly instructed that no temple, which was being maintained and administered well, should be brought under the control of the department. It would step in only if it received complaints on the privately administered temples, he added.
The Minister said the State government had sanctioned ₹100 crore for carrying out rejuvenation work on 1,000-year-old temples. The department would start the work in 80 such temples within December.
Earlier, after meeting the pontiff of the Dharmapuram Adheenam, Mr. Sekarbabu visited the schools run by the mutt and launched the plantation of 27,000 tree saplings in their premises.
It was the Minister’s maiden visit to the Adheenam after the controversial ban on the ‘pattina pravesam‘, a customary practice during which the pontiff is carried on a palanquin by devotees. The ban was subsequently revoked by the government and the event was held last month.
