The sacred Aavani festival at the ancient Tiruchendur Subramanian Swamy Temple was marred by a heated clash between two groups, the Shivachariyars and the Trisundarars.
The conflict erupted over a ritualistic dispute concerning which group had the right to adorn the deity with a gold “Muthangi” (jewelry) for the morning procession. The altercation caused a two-hour delay in the ‘panchamurthi’ procession, a key ritual of the festival.
The Shivachariyars, who are traditional priests, and the Trisundarars, who claim to have historical rights in temple rituals, have a long-standing history of disagreement over their respective roles in temple ceremonies.
The latest incident has prompted temple authorities to intervene and hold urgent talks with the representatives of both groups.
The authorities are striving to find a temporary solution to allow the festival to continue without further disruption while seeking a more permanent resolution to the long-standing dispute. Local police were deployed to the temple to ensure peace and prevent the situation from escalating.