In what comes across as a starkly hypocritical move of the state’s infamous “Dravidian model“, food safety officials in Dindigul have issued stringent orders requiring prior permission for devotees offering Annadhanam (food-offering) at the revered Palani Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple.
#JUSTIN || "பழனியில் பாதயாத்திரை செல்லும் பக்தர்களுக்கு அனுமதியின்றி அன்னதானம் வழங்கினால் ரூ.1000 அபராதம்"
திண்டுக்கல் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அதிகாரிகள் எச்சரிக்கை
"பழனியில் அன்னதானம் வழங்குபவர்கள் உணவு பாதுகாப்புத் துறையிடம் அனுமதி பெற வேண்டும்"
அன்னதானம் வழங்க… pic.twitter.com/wNSQM4BlL4
— Thanthi TV (@ThanthiTV) January 22, 2025
Meanwhile, just miles away, the sacred Thiruparankundram Murugan Temple has seen no such restrictions on consuming non-vegetarian biryani, as demonstrated by their ally IUML’s Ramanathapuram MP Navas Kani as indicated by his social media post.
மதுரை சிக்கந்தர் மலை தர்கா விவகாரம் தொடர்பாக இன்று நேரில் சென்று கள ஆய்வு செய்தோம்.
மதுரை மாநகர காவல் ஆணையரை சந்தித்து பிரச்சனையின்றி சுமுகமாக கடந்த காலங்களில் எப்படி இருந்ததோ அதேபோல நல்லிணக்கத்துடன் அனைத்து மக்களும் சென்று வர நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும் என வலியுறுத்தினோம்.… pic.twitter.com/vkcO6xydou— K.NavasKani MP (@KNavaskani) January 22, 2025
As preparations are underway for the Thaipoosam festival, which is on 11 February 2025 and festivities beginning a week earlier, the Food Safety Department in Dindigul has mandated that anyone wishing to distribute Annadhanam to those devotees on Padayatra, must first obtain official permission. Failure to comply will result in a fine of ₹1,000. The order also stipulates that plastic bags should not be used and areas where food is served must be cleaned after meals.
The Palani Murugan Temple, the third abode of Lord Muruga, attracts thousands of pilgrims daily. Ahead of the Thaipusam festival, Padayatra devotees have been arriving for weeks. However, their act of charity—offering food to fellow pilgrims—is now under scrutiny, with the authorities cracking down on unregulated food distribution.
In contrast, an incident at Thiruparankundram Murugan Temple on 22 January 2025 revealed a strikingly different approach. Ramanathapuram MP Navas Kani, who heads the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board and is affiliated with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), shared images on his official X handle showing Muslims consuming non-vegetarian biryani at the foothills of the sacred Thiruparankundram Murugan Temple hill.
K Navas Kani’s post detailed a meeting with the Madurai City Police Commissioner and District Collector regarding the Sikandarmalai Dargah issue. This public demonstration of consuming non-vegetarian food near a sacred Hindu site underscores the selective enforcement of regulations.
The blatant allowance of non-vegetarian consumption near a revered temple stands in stark contrast to the strict controls imposed on those offering traditional vegetarian Annadhanam at Palani.
This juxtaposition reveals a troubling hypocrisy within the governance of Tamil Nadu. On one hand, the state enforces rigid controls over charitable acts of food distribution among pilgrims, citing health and safety concerns. On the other hand, it turns a blind eye to activities that could be deemed disrespectful or culturally insensitive in a sacred setting.
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