Madurai Meenakshi Temple kumbhabhishekam arrangements have been declared fully complete, with the Tamil Nadu government saying backup measures are in place to prevent power interruptions and restore supply within two minutes if a failure occurs during the ceremony.
Electricity Minister Nirmalkumar and Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister Ramesh inspected the arrangements at the temple on September 17, according to a report by Dinamalar. The ministers’ visit followed allegations by temple trustee board chairperson Rukmani and trustees Dr Srinivasan and Subbulakshmi that the state government was engaging in politics over the kumbhabhishekam.
Responding to the allegations, Nirmalkumar said there was no politics in the ceremony and that the government was working only on public safety. He said arrangements were 100 per cent complete and that officials from all departments were working in two shifts.
The minister said measures had been taken to ensure uninterrupted electricity at the temple. In the event of a power failure, supply would be restored within two minutes, he said. The report did not provide details of the backup equipment, the agencies responsible for restoration or the number of visitors expected during the ceremony.
Access to the upper section of the temple has also been regulated. Two thousand members of the public were selected through a lottery system and issued passes to enter the upper level, the minister said. He denied any government intervention in the distribution of passes and said he had not even seen them so far.
Nirmalkumar said arrangements for the kumbhabhishekam were the responsibility of the temple administration and that no one could interfere in them. He added that he had contacted the trustee board and arranged for its requirements to be addressed.
A separate protest took place outside the temple after Tamil othuvars alleged that they had not been given adequate importance during the ceremony and were not being allowed into the sanctum. The protest, led by Salem-based Sathyabama, was held on Chithirai Veethi in front of the Amman shrine.
The protesters alleged that Tamil othuvars had been sidelined while only Sanskrit othuvars were being permitted to participate. They also said the temple’s joint commissioner had not clarified whether Tamil othuvars would be allowed to take part in the rituals.
The ministers held discussions with the protesters. Ramesh said arrangements had been made for Tamil othuvars to conduct yaga pujas. He said 27 government-recognised Tamil othuvars had been present at the temple since September 11.
Ramesh further said Tamil othuvars would be permitted to pour water into the ceremonial kalasam and enter the sanctum. He said the government would always give priority to Tamil. The ministers’ statements, as reported by Dinamalar, are the latest official response to the dispute over ceremony arrangements and participation.
