The administration of the Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple in Tiruchendur has proposed a steep increase in fees for several temple services, including abhishekam, special darshan and the popular golden chariot procession, citing rising costs and declining revenue, as reported in Dinamani.
According to a public notice displayed at the temple office, the administration has decided to revise service and special darshan charges in order to offset increased expenses and address revenue shortfalls. The proposal has been opened for public feedback, with devotees invited to submit objections in writing to the temple administration before 5:45 pm on 7 July 2026.
Under the proposed revision, the fee for the golden chariot procession would be increased from ₹2,500 to ₹5,000, while the required deposit would rise from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh.
The charge for Shanmugarchanai is proposed to be increased from ₹5,000 to ₹30,000. The fee for Moolavar Abhishekam for two persons would rise from ₹1,500 to ₹10,000.
Similarly, the fee for the Nine-Time Pooja (Onbadhu Kala Pooja) is proposed to be increased from ₹1,500 to ₹6,500, while the associated deposit amount would be revised from ₹20,000 to ₹90,000.
The temple administration has also proposed a significant change to Abhisheka Darshan charges. At present, devotees pay ₹500 on ordinary days and ₹2,000 on festival days. Under the new proposal, a uniform charge of ₹2,500 would apply on all days.
The proposed fee revisions have triggered concern among devotees, many of whom have expressed shock at the scale of the increases.
Reacting to the development, Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran strongly criticised the proposal and accused the Joseph Vijay-led government of making temple services less accessible to ordinary devotees.
In a statement posted on social media, Nagenthran reportedly questioned whether the objective behind the fee hike was to increase temple revenue or prevent poor and middle-class devotees from participating in temple rituals and services.
He argued that the proposed increases, including the sharp rise in charges for Shanmugarchanai, Nine-Time Pooja and Abhisheka Darshan, would place an unnecessary financial burden on devotees.
Nagenthran further alleged that the move contradicted the government’s earlier claim, made during the Governor’s Address, that temple resources would be utilised for the benefit of temples.
According to him, while the government publicly declared that temple assets and resources would be used for temples, it was simultaneously planning to increase charges in a manner that could discourage ordinary devotees from accessing temple services.
The BJP president also argued that if the government genuinely believed it was governing for all sections of society, it should reconsider the existing fee-based system for temple services and darshan rather than imposing additional financial burdens on worshippers.
He urged the government to explore alternative methods of increasing temple revenue without transferring the cost to devotees.
தமிழக மக்கள் கோவில்களை நெருங்கவிடாமல் தடுக்கத் திட்டமிடும் திரு. ஜோசப் விஜய் அரசு!
திருச்செந்தூர் அருள்மிகு சுப்பிரமணிய சுவாமி திருக்கோவில் சேவைக் கட்டணங்களை திரு. ஜோசப் விஜய் அரசு உயர்த்தத் திட்டமிட்டுள்ளதாக வெளிவந்துள்ள செய்திகள் மிகுந்த அதிர்ச்சியளிப்பதோடு,… pic.twitter.com/GJgLXhuKIX
— Nainar Nagenthran (@NainarBJP) June 23, 2026
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