About a month ago, the DMK government went over and above to prevent Hindus from lighting the Karthigai deepam at the Deepathoon as per tradition. And despite two court orders, they refused to permit Hindus do their rituals. Now, the Maha Kumbha Mela at Thirunavaya in Kerala is causing them an itch.

Police have denied permission for the Maha Kumbh Mela ratha yatra that was scheduled to begin on Sunday, 18 January 2026, from the Amanalingeswarar Temple at Thirumoorthy Hills in Tiruppur district, triggering sharp criticism from organisers, who accused the ruling DMK government of deliberately obstructing Hindu spiritual movements.

The ratha yatra was planned as part of the preparations for the Maha Kumbh Mela scheduled to be held at Thirunavaya in Kerala from 18 January to 3 February 2026. According to organisers, the procession was to pass through Tiruppur, Udumalpet, Pollachi, Coimbatore and Ettimadai before entering Kerala. The event is being organised by the Juna Akhada, one of the prominent ascetic orders traditionally associated with organising the Kumbh Mela in North India.

The inauguration ceremony of the yatra was originally scheduled for 7 AM at the Amanalingeswarar Temple. However, following the police refusal to grant permission, organisers postponed the ceremony to 9 AM. They said that after the performance of the rituals, a final decision would be taken on how to proceed, even as police personnel were deployed near the chariot and security arrangements were put in place in the area.

Speaking on the denial of permission, one of the organisers said that stopping the ratha yatra was a “wrong and dangerous precedent,” pointing out that Kumbh Mela-related processions have been taking place at Thirunavaya for over two centuries. He said spiritual journeys create a positive awakening among people and warned that suppressing religious expression has historically led to extremism in societies where faith was systematically targeted.

The organiser further accused the present DMK government of being more hostile to Hindu religious activity than even previous administrations. He pointed out that several yatras, including those led by senior BJP leader LK Advani, were conducted during the tenure of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi but alleged that the current government under Chief Minister MK Stalin was acting on “misleading and poor inputs” to block spiritual journeys.

“They first did this at Thirupparankundram, and now they have done it here,” he said, rejecting the police claim that the procession was stopped due to potential inconvenience to the public. “There is no massive chariot. It is only a small vehicle carrying a Sri Chakra. This is not about public inconvenience; this is about a mindset to suppress Hindus while appeasing minorities,” he alleged.

On the future course of action, the organisers said they were considering approaching the court to obtain permission and conduct the ratha yatra legally. They stressed that they would not resort to unlawful methods and would act only through constitutional and legal means. For the moment, they said, the chariot may be taken back to Kerala with police coordination.

Expressing deep regret over the cancellation, the organisers said the ratha yatra could not proceed in Tamil Nadu solely due to what they described as the DMK government’s “intent to suppress Hindu religious expression.” They added that a final decision on the continuation of the yatra would be announced after internal discussions.

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The post After Thirupparankundram, DMK Govt Denies Permission For Maha Kumbh Mela Ratha Yatra From Tamil Nadu appeared first on The Commune.