The Madras High Court has directed the Secretary of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department to submit a report on an incident at the Thiruparankundram Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Madurai district.
The issue relates to Minister Nirmalkumar’s darshan at the temple on May 15. As per the usual schedule, the sanctum is closed at 12:45 pm, but it was reportedly kept open beyond that time for the minister’s visit and was closed only after his darshan.
A video purportedly showing the minister offering prayers inside the sanctum also circulated on social media, drawing attention to the circumstances of the visit.
The court raised the matter while hearing a case opposing the special paid darshan system in temples. A bench comprising Justices G.R. Swaminathan and V. Lakshminarayanan ordered the HR&CE secretary to file a report next week explaining what happened during the minister’s visit to Thiruparankundram.
