Stairs installed in a manner said to be contrary to Agama rules have been removed at the Varadaraja Perumal Temple in Kanchipuram.
According to the report, the approach to the sanctum traditionally had six steps. Temple administration and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department had jointly modified this arrangement, increasing the number of steps to ten.
Devotees and Hindu organisations objected, alleging the change went against Agama prescriptions and the temple’s long-standing tradition. The Kanchi district unit of Hindu Munnani held demonstrations and sustained protests demanding a rollback.
Hindu Munnani state spokesperson Ilangovan said restoring the steps to the earlier six-step format was welcome. He described it as a success of the group’s continued agitation to protect Agama practices and tradition in ancient temples, and said they would continue to protest if similar moves recur.
