Tiruchy: Concerns ahead of Panguni Uthiram
With Panguni Uthiram festivities set to be observed at Murugan temples across Tamil Nadu, thousands of devotees are expected to gather for special worship and darshan.
Allegations of overreach during crowd days
Temple officials say police support is typically sought for crowd management and security outside temple premises on peak days. However, they allege that some personnel use this role to exert influence inside temples, insisting that people brought by them be allowed “special darshan” without standing in queues.
Claims of bypassing tickets and norms
According to officials, those escorted in the name of “important persons” often include acquaintances, friends and relatives, sometimes in groups. They are alleged to bypass darshan tickets and regular lines, even as devotees wait for hours.
Disruption during rituals
Officials further claim that demands are sometimes made for darshan even during deity decoration, including requests to move curtains, open closed doors, or allow proximity near the sanctum—actions they say cause distress to devotees and interfere with temple procedures.
Call for preventive instructions and monitoring
With elections keeping political attention elsewhere, officials say such incidents may go unnoticed. They have urged the Director General of Police to issue clear instructions to prevent violations, with district and city police leadership monitoring compliance. They also want the HR&CE Commissioner to collect details of alleged overreach from key temples and forward them to the DGP.
