Madurai’s Meenakshi Amman Temple has come under scrutiny after a social media “reels” video showed a 16-year-old dancing to a film kuthu song at the Porthamarai Kulam inside the temple complex.
Mobile phones are banned inside the temple following an order of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, issued after earlier incidents in which visitors recorded videos and posted objectionable content from within the premises. The temple administration later arranged a paid facility for devotees to deposit phones, and police checks are conducted before entry.
The latest video has sparked outrage, with Hindu organisations alleging lax enforcement during screening and calling for disciplinary action against personnel responsible for the checks. They also demanded that the video be removed from social media.
A police officer said an inquiry is under way to identify who uploaded the video and details about the minor seen in it. Police are also verifying when the footage was recorded and whether it was shot on a mobile phone, before concluding whether there was negligence in the checking process.
