The Avinashi Lingeswarar temple in Tamil Nadu was vandalised and a robbery attempt was made by a supposedly mentally unstable man. He vandalised some murtis, removed their vastra and tried to break the hundi. As he couldn’t succeed he stole a copper spear and Trishul and hid in the temple tower.

Archakas were shocked to find the Avinashi Lingeswarar temple broken into on the morning of May 23. They immediately informed local authorities and the police. Devotees and Hindu activists also arrived and were shocked to find the level of vandalism. Clothes put on the murtis of 63 Nayanmar, Shaivite Tamil poets, were removed and thrown haphazardly. Stone kalash above the murtis were broken and strewn around.

The vastra and silver tripundra on the shivling of the presiding deity AvinashiLingeswarar also were removed and thrown away. The hundi looked damaged as if someone had tried to break it. Even as everyone inspected the vandalism a man was caught lurking at the top of the temple tower. Cops convinced him to climb down and caught him.

Upon investigation, he revealed that he was a resident of Vellamadai near Avinashi. He was identified as Saravana Bharati after police found his Aadhar card and other documents on his person. Media reports say that he possessed medical documents and prescriptions suggesting that he underwent medical treatment for mental health. He claimed that he was dead and was wandering the earth as a ghost. 

As per Tamil media reports he acted like a mentally unstable person. He can be seen wearing Tulsi mani mala and had Hindi/Devanagari letters tattooed on his hand. The incident has been reported as a failed robbery attempt. But looking at how the man wore Tulasi mala and had Devanagari tattoos it appears to be an attempt to either further the ‘Hindu Terror’ propaganda or to fool fellow Hindus to blend easily. Periyarists are known to indulge in such despicable acts with the cover of a Hindu name to defame Hindus.

When those who are caught vandalising and desecrating temples are invariably identified as mentally challenged, the Hindu community cannot help but suspect that something sinister is afoot. This incident adds to the list of numerous such incidents from all parts of the country.

Not even a month ago, Moinuddin of Muzzafarpur urinated on Ma Durga’s murti in a temple in the city. His parents claimed that he was ‘mentally unstable’.

In October 2022, one Rameez Ahmed was arrested for vandalizing Hanuman temple and murti in Jharkhand. Police claimed that he was ‘mentally unstable’.

In September 2022, two burqa clad women vandalised Ma Durga’s murti in Hyderabad and the police claimed that they were ‘mentally unstable’.

In 2021, a Muslim man set fire to a temple chariot in Tamil Nadu. When caught by devotees and questioned about the motive he said that he would do it again if he gets the chance. Yet he was branded as a ‘mentally unstable’ person and let off.