After Podhu Dikshitars of Chidambaram Natarajar temple declining to permit devotees to offer prayers from Kanagasabai in view of the Aani Thirumanjanam festival, Velvizhi, a Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department official, accompanied by two female police officers, entered the Kanagasabai briefly on Tuesday amid stiff resistance from dikshithars.
Dikshithars, who have been administering the temple had stated that the Kanagasabai will be closed for devotees from June 24 to 27. HR&CE department has been trying to take over the administration of the Chidambaram Natarajar temple for a long time now.
Accusing the Podu Dikshitars managing the famous Natarajar temple in Tamil Nadu’s Chidambaram of not divulging information to the government on temple funds or assets, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P K Sekar Babu on Tuesday said efforts are on to bring this shrine under the ambit of his department.On June 26 evening, the HR&CE Department officials, accompanied by police, removed a board placed by the Podu Dikshitars restricting devotees from entering the Kanagasabai till the conclusion of the ongoing ‘Aani Thirumanjanam’ festival on June 27.