[Image Credit: OneIndia Tamil]
Amid the recent chaos and scuffle that broke out between groups from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh while waiting in the overcrowded queue lines at the Tiruvannamalai Arunachaleshwarar Temple, a devotee sustained a head injury.
In the aftermath of the incident, local residents blamed the temple administration’s new ₹50 paid darshan system, the unchecked presence of middlemen charging ₹500–₹1000 for queue-jumping access, and the lack of adequate security arrangements as key reasons behind the unrest.
Devotees further alleged that the temple administration treats pilgrims like revenue sources, giving undue preference to those opting for the ₹50 ticketed darshan while neglecting the needs of those in the free darshan queues. They also claimed that special treatment is being extended to devotees from Andhra Pradesh, while local worshippers are routinely sidelined.
A local woman who used to visit the Arunachaleshwarar (Annamalaiyar) Temple regularly expressed how difficult it has now become for her to go and worship. She said that the locals are being discriminated against, while people from Andhra are being given preference for darshan. She said, “We used to go every week on Mondays to see Annamalaiyar. But now, we’re not able to go. If we try to go, they ask for money. They tell us you move away and look at us with such a degrading gaze. We feel a different way because of it. If we try to get a ticket, it’s either ₹50 or ₹500. We don’t have the means to buy a ₹500 ticket. We are middle-class family. We come just to see Annamalaiyar. But even that is not possible here. We can’t do anything. We have to keep standing in queue for worship. We can’t even bring our children during whether it’s a wedding day or a birthday, we are unable to see Annamalaiyar. That’s how hard it has become. We usually come a day in a week to the temple. Now, we are afraid. Just thinking about the temple gives us fear. Let’s stand outside and worship. That itself is enough for us. We don’t need anything more. Everything has become too crowded. Andhra people are all we see. There’s no place to stay. They don’t even give houses for rent. It has become like that. Now, everything is very difficult. They do not include our local people inside. If they are from Andhra they allow them. It’s gone that bad.”
Another devotee alleged that the HR&CE temple administration prioritizes the ₹50 ticketed darshan while neglecting the needs of devotees opting for the free darshan. He pointed out that there is a lack of basic facilities and inadequate crowd control measures, which must be addressed and regulated.
He said, “The administration is focusing too much on this ₹50 darshan system with great interest but not paying enough attention to those coming through the free or local darshan queues to the general devotees. They are very lethargic, and this should be brought to the attention. At the same time, there’s a complete lack of safety for devotees, we can even say there is no security at all. Just two days ago, there was some commotion. They should have deployed security personnel and police here. Likewise, officials should have been properly deployed in the area. Because of such many shortcomings and lack of proper regulations, we could not effectively function the temple and also unable to allow proper darshan for visiting devotees. Every day, Tiruvannamalai is been showed as an issues. Therefore, our request to the administration is to intervene, ensure the safety of the devotees and visitors, streamline the darshan process, and not place excessive importance on the ₹50 paid darshan. Equal importance must be given to the free darshan and to the common public who come to worship.”
Another local woman devotee lamented that she and others from the locality have not been able to worship inside the temple for the past three years. Even for the ₹50 darshan, she said, devotees are forced to stand in queues for 7 to 8 hours. She alleged that brokers inside the temple exploit the system by charging ₹500 to ₹1000 from devotees, helping them bypass the queue and granting priority darshan to those from other states particularly Andhra Pradesh while sidelining others standing in the queue. She urged the authorities to take strict action against these brokers and regulate the darshan system properly. She also appealed for the cancellation of the ₹50 darshan scheme altogether.
She said, “We are not able to go for darshan. About three years ago, it was free. But now, it is not. They give priority only to people coming from other states, like people from Andhra. None of the people living around this temple can go inside the temple anymore. That’s because a lot of middlemen have taken over, they charge ₹500 or ₹1000 per person and take them in directly. Even for the ₹50 darshan, we are unable to go. And if we try to go, it takes seven to eight hours. When we go, in the crowded rush, people are pushing each other and there are fights breaking out inside. This ₹50 darshan is the maximum. It should even be cancelled. Instead, if they simply allowed public darshan for everyone, for locals or outsiders (under one common system), there would be no problem at all. They say ₹50 and charge for it, but once inside, the middlemen are working with ₹500 to ₹1000. The temple administration should first identify who these middlemen are and take strict action against them in my opinion.”
Another local devotee expressed frustration that people from the area have not been able to have a proper darshan at the temple for the past three years. He alleged that the temple administration prioritizes VIPs and devotees from Andhra Pradesh, especially for special rituals like the Go(cow) Puja, while completely ignoring the common public. He further claimed that middlemen are operating freely within the temple, even possessing keys to certain entry points, allowing them to bring in people for special darshans by bypassing regular queues. According to him, this has led to overcrowding inside the temple and is the root cause of frequent scuffles and chaos during darshan hours.
He said, “There are also many (middlemen) involved in this, but I don’t was say about them. If each of these middlemen takes 10 people, totaling 50, imagine how huge the crowd becomes. For them, gates are closed and opened specially; they are given keys and allowed to manage things separately. Because of this, there is overcrowding, and fights break out inside. If all this is avoided, and everyone the general public is allowed to come and go freely, and if everyone is treated equally, things will start to improve.”
உள்ளூர்காரங்க சாமிய பார்த்தே 3 வருஷம் ஆச்சு.. அண்ணாமலையார் கோயிலில் ஏற்பட்ட மோதல் குறித்து பொதுமக்கள் ஆதங்கம்#Thiruvannamalai #TempleNews #Attack #Devotees #TempleIssue #TamilNews #NewsTamil #NewsTamil24x7 pic.twitter.com/wsGEoZBpFJ
— News Tamil 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) June 1, 2025
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