The much-anticipated Kanda Shashti festival at Tiruchendur Subramania Swamy Temple commenced with traditional fervour on 13 November 2023, marked by the auspicious Yagasala Puja. However, the joy of devotees took a shocking turn as they were confronted with a substantial increase in darshan fees on this special occasion.
The festival, which began at 7 a.m. with Yagasala Puja, witnessed Swami Jayantinatha leading the Valli Deivanai Abhishekamakaranam Deeparathan at 9 a.m. The main event, Surasamharam, is scheduled to unfold on the beach on the evening of 18 November 2023.
Devotees, who had eagerly gathered since 12 November 2023 evening, were disheartened to discover the escalated darshan fees. The Abhishekam Darshan fee, which stood at ₹500 per person (on normal days) and ₹2000 per person (on auspicious days), has seen a steep rise to ₹3000. Similarly, the Vishwarupa Darshan fee, typically at ₹100, has been elevated to ₹2000, and the Quick Darshan fee surged from ₹100 to ₹1000.
Dravidian Model Jizya in TN. pic.twitter.com/AO6iWh2TWD
— Vishwatma 🇮🇳 (@HLKodo) November 14, 2023
The sudden fee hikes left devotees dumbfounded, especially considering that the special darshan fee had already been increased in 2022. The temple, which opened at 1 a.m. for special pujas, attracted lakhs of devotees from various districts, eager to partake in the Shashti festival celebrations.
A report by The Hindu quoted a HR&CE official saying that the fare increase was done back in 2017 and that “certain elements” are spreading baseless allegations.
Temporary sheds have been erected at 21 locations within the temple premises to accommodate devotees observing fasts during the festival. To ensure security, 2500 police personnel and home guards have been deployed.
The administration is making preparations for the upcoming events, including the grand Surasamharam on 18 November 2023 and the wedding ceremony on 19 November 2023. Despite the festive spirit, the unexpected spike in darshan fees has cast a shadow over the celebrations, leaving devotees dismayed.
The Kanda Shashti festival, celebrated annually with great pomp at the Tiruchendur temple, draws lakhs of devotees from different towns who come to seek the darshan of Lord Murugan. The temple authorities have not provided any prior notification regarding the fee increases, further intensifying the stupefaction and disappointment among the devotees. It is noteworthy that the said temple falls under the purview of the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department. Earlier in August 2022, the DMK government and its HR&CE department found itself mired in contoversy when Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s son-in-law Sabarisan Vedamurthy conducted a special yagam/yagna (sacrificial fire ritual) at the Thiruchendur Subramania Swamy Temple. He had performed the (Kshatru Samhara Yagam), a vedic ritual performed to ‘destroy and finish-off enemies’. It is usually done by powerful businessmen and politicians for want of more wealth and power and ward of evil forces. It was called out by many as blatant abuse of power as a barricade was erected at the premises of the temple causing inconvenience to devotees who were unable to go to the Valli cave.
The HR&CE department recently has been receiving flak for their overarching use of power especially in the recent Tiruvannamalai shopping complex construction.
(With inputs from Dinamalar)
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram and WhatsApp and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.