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Dravidian Model: Long Queues, Devotees Slapped & Manhandled, Poor Arrangements For Thaipoosam At Murugan Temples Across TN

The Commune

Thaipoosam, one of the biggest Hindu festivals for devotees of Lord Muruga in Tamil Nadu, turned out to be a sour experience for many, especially with their temple visits marred by heavy crowding, poor management by the staff of the Murugan temples, some of which are managed by the HR&CE department. Let’s take a look at each of them.

Kundrathur Murugan Temple

On the occasion of Thaipusam, thousands of devotees gathered at the Kundrathur Murugan Temple in Kanchipuram district, with many arriving as early as 4 AM. However, they faced significant hardships due to the lack of basic facilities such as drinking water and shelter, exacerbated by the intense heat. The overwhelming crowd led to chaotic situations, with long queues and delays in darshan. Many devotees expressed concerns that even those arriving early might have to wait for over ten hours to see the deity.

Adding to the frustration, preferential treatment was reportedly given to certain individuals, with temple staff allowing select people through a separate entrance while ordinary devotees were left waiting. This led to outrage among the crowd, who confronted temple authorities, including the executive officer, questioning the discrimination.

Tensions escalated when a journalist covering the issue had his identity card and mobile phone forcibly taken by temple staff. Reports indicate that the journalist faced threats from officials who were also taking photos and intimidating those who questioned them. This incident has caused a stir in the area, further highlighting the mismanagement at the temple.

Given the worsening situation and the expected increase in devotees, there is a strong demand for immediate improvements in basic facilities and better crowd management to ensure a smoother and fairer experience for all. It is noteworthy that this temple comes under the HR&CE purview. 

Siruvapuri Murugan Temple

A few transgender devotees who had been on a vow to visit the temple had been using the VIP path for the past few weeks while carrying out their vow. Since yesterday was Thaipoosam, the VIP path was reserved for VIPs and politicians, so these devotees chose the VIP path as usual, and were allegedly manhandled by the police personnel. One of them stated that she had recently undergone an implant surgery and yet the police pushed her and developed chest pain. Another transgender who was with the victim questioned the police as to why they behaved so but received no response. When questioned why they went on the VIP path instead of the common path, they said they felt uncomfortable among the crowd since they were transgenders.

Police alleged that they were indulging in begging which the transgenders refused saying they were involved in a tailoring business and did not have the need to beg people. Continuing to describe the physical altercation, the transgender said, “A lady officer came when this was happening and slapped me without any reason. But in the news, it has been reported that we were begging the people, asking them for money and that is why the police slapped us. It is totally wrong. You can check the CCTVs. If we stand in the regular queue, we are subjected to harassment by the general public and that is why we took the other queue. The male police officers pushed us touching our chest, how is this justified?”

Some other devotees also alleged manhandling and abuse at the hands of police officers at the same Siruvapuri temple. One of them said, “A child is hurt, and these people are not attending to her even. The police are not doing their duty properly. There are so many people here. They are giving more importance to the VIPs. When we asked about this, they beat those who raised questions. In the other place, there is no police personnel deployed and there is a huge crowd there. They are all here (attending to VIPs).”

Some alleged that if devotees paid money, they would be allowed inside through the shorter queue. Another devotee alleged that a policeman abused her and used the word “podi“.

Vadapalani Murugan Temple

At the Vadapalani Murugan temple, it was no different. The temple which comes under the purview of the HR&CE faced flak from devotees for its poor coordination and crowd management.

A devotee asked, “Do they know that it is a festival day only today? Shouldn’t safety measures be taken properly? The crowd is crushing an infant. An old person is fainting because of the heat and crowd, there is no water or any other facilities. There is absolutely no coordination. I don’t understand why they are doing this. Everyone wants to peacefully have the darshan of the Lord. They could have put a barricade in front and ensured a single-line queue. They are giving importance to those who are paying and entering the temple. Those in the free queue are suffering. They have been standing in the queue from 2 AM. There are old people, women, and other poor people. I request the HR&CE department to take appropriate measures – now the crowd is less but it will increase with time.”

Women were seen fainting and sweating profusely. The devotees carrying paal kudam (pots of milk) and kavadi to complete their vow were very high in number faced a chaotic crowd and were manhandled by the police as seen in this video. The queues were long and winding and many had to stand in the hot sun to get darshan.

Chennimalai Murugan Temple

Thousands of devotees attended the Thaipusam chariot festival at Chennimalai Murugan Temple in the Erode district but faced severe difficulties due to road construction. The town panchayat reportedly dumped stones and sand on the path traditionally used by devotees for their foot procession, causing injuries and discomfort.

Chennimalai Murugan Temple, one of the oldest and most revered temples in the region, attracts lakhs of devotees, especially during special occasions like Thaipusam. However, the ongoing roadwork, allegedly carried out without considering the festival schedule, has left pilgrims struggling to walk barefoot, with reports of injuries due to the rough terrain.

Concerns have been raised about the timing of the construction, with critics questioning why the work was not planned before or after the festival.

Even during the Kanda Shashti festival in January 2025, people faced severe difficulties at Thiruchendur. HR&CE Minister Sekar Babu made insensitive comments at the people who demanded they be given better facilities.

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