From being a sacred place of worship, the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple has become embroiled in controversy due to the recent incidents that have taken place.
At the center of the controversy is the decision to restrict public access to the Kanakasabhai (Golden Hall) in the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple for four days following the annual Aani Thirumanjanam festival. This restriction has been a longstanding tradition at the temple during this festival.
However, officials from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) Department and the police stormed into the Kanakasabai (Golden Platform) during the ongoing Aani Thirumanjanam festival. This move has sparked outrage and condemnation from the temple authorities and devotees.
In light of this, the Vijayanagara Ujjivana Charitable Trust run by the descendants of the Vijayanagara empire condemned the distressing turn of events at the temple and the tirade against Deekshitars.
“The recent controversy in the Chidambaram Sri Nataraja Temple has hurt the sentiments of Hindu devotees across the country. It is seen that the officials of TN Government (like HR&CE department, Police etc.) are behaving in an atrociously high-handed manner with the Thillai Dikshitars who are the hereditary owners of the temple.”, the press release said.
“We see that baseless allegations are being hurled against this ancient community of worshippers and their right to administer their temple is being hindered at every step. Already the community was tarnished by the government through various baseless allegations, their minor girls were subjected to inhuman`two-finger’ test among other such targeted steps taken by the officials of the state.”, the press statement further added.
Contrary to the claims made by a few people that temples like Chidambaram Natarajar Temple were built by kings and hence their ownership should lie with the state, the Trust clarified that the rulers did not own or control or administer the temple.
“Several inscriptions with donations end with phrases like Srivaishnava Raksha, Maaheshvara Raksha etc. to specifically emphasize the fact that the temples belonged to a specific denomination and that the denomination shall administer & protect the particular temple. Once donated, the property does not remain public property. It belongs to the specific denominafion.” , it said.
“Once a land or property has been allocated by the government as a private property, neither the government nor the general public can claim the property as theirs. Just because an apartment has been presented by the state to a family, said apartment does not become state property. Similarly, when the temples were built and offered to specific sampradayas by the rulers, the state & the general public lose the right over said temples. They are not state property anymore.”, it further added.
“The current temple was restored, renovated and expanded by the Vijayanagar emperors and their Nayaka subordinates after the reconquest of Tamil lands by the empire under Kumara Kampana. Emperor Krishnadevaraya built the grand gopurams of this temple. Our ancestors certainly did not consider themselves as the owners of the temple nor did they see the temple as property of the state. The temple belongs to the Dikshitars and should remain so forever till the sun and moon remain — as they should be.”, the press release noted.
The Trust also pointed out to the sorry state of affairs of several ancient temples of Tamil Nadu saying “We see that several centuries old temples built and endowed by Cholas, Pandyas, Vijayanagar, Nayalcas and other rulers — which are under the administrative control of the HR8cCE department — remain without proper maintenance and in many cases, without even proper pujas. The government should rather concentrate its efforts towards better maintenance of these dilapidated temples instead of unnecessarily persecuting the Dikshitars of Chidambaram temple who maintain their temple in a proper manner.”
“We implore the government of Tamil Nadu to give up this politics of hatred against the Dikshitars and instead take firm steps towards maintenance and improvement of the ancient temples of the state which display the real rich culture and traditions of the Tamil land”, it concluded.
As the descendants of Vijayanagara Emperors who reconstructed the current temple in Chidambaram, we request the TN state government to not interfere in the religious affairs and administration of the Nataraja Temple which is traditionally identified as the property of Dikshitars. pic.twitter.com/u9sFd3QNgU
— Vijayanagara Ujjivana (@VUjjivana) June 29, 2023
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