A barricade was installed before the Artha Mandapam and devotees are offering prayer and viewing the main deity from a long distance at the Arulmigu Sugavaneswarar Swamy Temple in Salem in Tamil Nadu on Monday.
| Photo Credit: LAKSHMI NARAYANAN E.
Devotees have asked the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department to stop collecting the special darshan fee and to remove the barricades installed at the Sri Arulmigu Sugavaneswarar Temple in Salem district.
Every day, people in large numbers visit the 1,000-year-old temple to offer prayers. On important days such as Pradosham, Ammavasai and Pournami, the temple witnesses heavy crowd.
The HR and CE Department allegedly collects ₹10 for special darshan of the main deity. It is alleged that on Monday (November 10, 2025), free darshan devotees were made to stop 25 feet away from the sanctum sanctorum, for which barricades were installed. Irked, the devotees questioned the priests and temple staff.
G. Anandhakumar, a resident of Ammapet, said the action of the HR&CE Department was unacceptable. “Aged people were unable to see the deity. Usually, barricades will be erected on Pradosham to control the crowd. But now, even on normal days, the temple administration is installing barricades to collect money,” he added.
R.P. Gopinath, a BJP functionary, met the HR&CE officials and submitted a petition to remove the barricades. “Collecting money from devotees to offer prayers at the Artha Mandapam is condemnable. The BJP and other Hindu outfits will protest in front of the temple if the barricades are not removed,” Mr. Gopinath said.
Assistant Commissioner of HR&CE and administrative officer of Sugavaneswarar Temple, Amsa Veerasamy Naidu, said the Department has permission to install barricades every Friday to Monday, and on Ammavasai,Pournami and Pradosham. The remaining days, devotees will be allowed as usual, Ms. Amsa added.
Published – November 10, 2025 08:07 pm IST
