Photo used for representation purposes only. File | Photo Credit: R. Ashok
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday ordered a ban on the use of mobile phones inside all temples in Tamil Nadu, so as to maintain purity and sanctity.
A Division Bench of Justices R. Mahadevan and J. Sathya Narayana Prasad directed the Commissioner of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department to prohibit the use of mobile phones inside temples and comply with the directions of the court.
Temples are great institutions, and they have traditionally been central to everyone’s life. It is not only a place of worship, but also integral to the sociocultural and economic life of people. It is a living tradition that still draws hundreds of thousands of devotees seeking to experience the divinity and spirituality offered by the temple. The systems and structures which support this experience, make a temple to have its own management needs, the judges observed.
The judges observed that there cannot be any dispute that under Article 25 of the Constitution, all persons are entitled to freely profess, practice and propagate religion. However, such freedom to act and practice can be subject to regulations, inside the premises of the temple. The Agamas prescribe the rules regarding the rituals to be followed in the worship services at the temple.
According to the same, the temple authorities should ensure that the decency of worship and sanctity of the temple are maintained. Therefore, the use of mobile phones and cameras inside the premises, which diverts the attention of the devotees from the purpose of visiting the temple, can be regulated by the authorities concerned.
The judges observed that the Tamil Nadu Temple Entry Authorization Act, 1947, and the rules empower trustees or any authority in-charge of the temple to make regulations for the maintenance of order and decorum on the premises. At the same time, the rules provide that the regulations should not be in such a way as to be prejudiced to the rights and facilities which worshipers had generally exercised.
The judges noted that the ban on mobile phones has been introduced and successfully implemented in temples across the country to prevent nuisance to devotees. Sri Krishna temple in Guruvayur, Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple in Madurai and Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati are a few examples where mobile phone bans are in force. There are separate security counters in each of these temples to deposit mobile phones before entering the premises.
Taking into account the fact that authorities had already taken all effective measures for the ban on mobile phones, decent dress code, etc. inside the premises of the Subramaniya Swamy temple in Tiruchendur, pursuant to the order of the court, the judges directed the Commissioner of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department to comply with the directions in all the temples in the State.
The judges took note of the fact that the Subramaniya Swamy temple authorities had taken steps to impose restrictions for the usage of mobile phones by priests, devotees and others inside the temple, appoint self-help groups to supervise the usage of the gadgets and set up counters to deposit them.
The Bench passed the order on a public interest litigation petition filed by M. Seetharaman, of Tiruchendur in Thoothukudi district, who had sought a direction to the authorities to take effective measures to prohibit the use of mobile phones inside the Subramaniya Swamy temple.
The petitioner said the Subramaniya Swamy temple was an ancient temple, and Agama rules played a vital role in the worship and administration of the temple. The Agama rules of every Hindu temple prohibit the use of cameras to record or shoot photos of the Deeparadhanai, pujas and deities. Devotees are taking snaps of idols and pujas. Temple staff face hardship as a result, he said.
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