The Sun News channel’s Twitter (X) handle shared a video claiming that people are clamouring for pots to welcome Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader K Annamalai at Karaikudi on 1 August 2023.
Sun News claimed that the pots (ordinary) were being distributed among the public to welcome Annamalai and that there was a shortage hence people clamoured for them and there was a commotion.
Watch | அண்ணாமலையை வரவேற்க வந்தவர்களுக்கு வழங்கப்பட்ட சொம்பு வாங்க தள்ளுமுள்ளு #SunNews | #Karaikudi | #Annamalai pic.twitter.com/xHqVAyvETB
— Sun News (@sunnewstamil) August 1, 2023
In reality, according to sources close to Annamalai, the pots (kalasa sombu) were actually used for the Nagarathar Sambo Puja at Kashi and were brought to Karaikudi to be distributed among the people in memory of the Kashi Nagarathars (a community), during Annamalai’s yatra at Karaikudi.
காசியில் இருக்கும் நகரத்தார் சம்போ பூஜையின் போது உபயோகித்த கலச கும்பங்களை காரைக்குடியில் காசி நகரத்தாரின் நினைவாக இன்று காரைக்குடியில் தலைவரின் யாத்திரையின் போது விநியோகம் செய்யப்பட்டதை உண்மைக்கு மாறான செய்தியை வெளியிட்டுள்ள கேடுகெட்ட சன் நியூஸ். https://t.co/cFHPDl3AHc
— Krishna Kumar Murugan (@ikkmurugan) August 1, 2023
Nagarathars are a Tamil community (Nattukottai Chettiars) who perform pujas at Kashi Vishwanath Temple on a daily basis. Since the 1820s, they have been conducting Trikaala poojas daily. These Trikaala poojas are held at 4 AM, 11.30 AM, and 9 PM, and remarkably, they have been performed continuously for the past 150 years (and more) without any interruptions. Even during challenging times, such as the curfew imposed during the Quit India Movement in 1942, the poojas were granted special permission to proceed. It is said that at 10.40 AM and 9.30 PM each day, the milk for abishekam (a ritualistic bathing ceremony) and other pooja items are collected, accompanied by the chanting of “Sambo Shankara.” These specific timings hold special significance, as they are exclusively reserved for these rituals, with the other two poojas being owned by Nepal Maharaja and Kasi Maharaja.
However, Sun News chose to portray this as a commotion and clamouring for the pots. Some Twitter users did not show surprise claiming that it would be surprising only if Sun News reported the truth.
உண்மையை சொன்னால் தான் ஆச்சரியம்
— 𓄂𖤍Bhairavi Nachiyar𖤍 பாண்டிய நாட்டு இளவரசி 🇮🇳 (@Bhairavinachiya) August 1, 2023
Another user tweeted, “Sun News itself indicates it is a lie.”
சன் நியூஸ்னாலே பொய் பித்தலாட்டம் தானே ..
— Makudapathi Kaliappan (@makudapathiKK) August 2, 2023
Yet another user tweeted, “Fake news Sun News as usual. It was a lot from Kashi.”
Fake news Sun News as usual. It was a lot from Kashi.
— Adi | 🇮🇳 (@AdiUvacha) August 1, 2023
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