In a yet another anti-Hindu move, the DMK government had banned filming of a temple’s deities and utsavas. HRCE has threatened to book people who share pictures and videos of the temple on social media or elsewhere for cyber crime. It is seen as an attempt to curb the freedom and rights of temple activists in exposing violation of Agama rules and corruption in Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HRCE) department.
A Twitter user shared a circular signed by the Joint Commissioner cum Trustee of the Kanchipuram Varadaraja Perumal temple yesterday. The document says that the temple management, the temple is under HRCE control, has opened a YouTube channel and that pictures and videos of utsavas can be viewed in the channel and TNHRCE website. It is well and good if HRCE is taking measures to publicise festivals and other happenings of the temple.
But the document further says the public should not share pictures and videos of the temple utsavas on social media and those who do will be booked for cyber crime. It could be that HRCE wants to earn money through sharing exclusive videos on YouTube. But the Varadaraja Perumal temple owns nearly 500 acre properties including agricultural land, leased land and buildings. What the temple could earn through YouTube would be peanuts compared to what it can earn through its properties if they are handled correctly.
Devotees fear that this move is to curb the freedom and rights of those who question violations of Agama rules and corruption in HRCE. Temple Worshippers Society President TR Ramesh pointed out that the appointment of the Joint Commissioner as “Administrative Trustee”, as he has signed the order, itself is illegal. Ramesh and Rangarajan Narasimhan, another temple activist from Srirangam have been fighting against the misuse of temple premises and properties through legal means.
They have pointed out many times that temple money is used to buy vehicles, food, and even toilet ware for HRCE ministers and officials in a gross violation of HRCE Act. They have also exposed how ancient temple premises are misused as parking lots, roads and the centuries old structures are damaged in the name of renovation.
Rangarajan Narasimhan had gone to court against the Srirangam Ranganatha Swamy temple management for meddling with rituals and stopping them after Covid-19 induced lockdown. The management had stopped performing some rituals even after the lockdown was lifted even though other major temples followed and performed rituals as usual within closed doors.
In most temples panchaloha, silver and gold murtis of deities are kept in safes throughout the year and brought out only for utsavas. Many times murtis go ‘missing’ and devotees don’t even realise it as they are taken out only a few times in a year. In such conditions only pictures and images taken during the utsavas can help identify the missing murtis. Many smuggled murtis have been identified and expatriated in this manner. In this light, one cannot help but see HRCE’s order banning filming of the temple and utsavas as an attempt to hide things.
