Images of three women dressed in Islamic-style burqa inside Tirunelveli’s Nellayapar temple went viral on social media, sparking controversy.
Nellaiappar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in Tirunelveli, a city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshipped as Nellaiappar (also called Venuvananathar) represented by the lingam and his consort Parvati is worshipped as Kanthimathi Amman. The temple is located on the northern banks of the Thamirabarani River in the Tirunelveli district. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th-century Tamil Saivite literary work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil sage poets known as the Nayanmars and the temple is hence classified as ‘Paadal Petra Sthalam’.
On 5 February 2023, three Muslim women dressed in burqa entered the temple at around 11:15 AM and went around the Shiva and Amman shrines.
Despite the fact that there are separate dress codes for men and women inside the temple, neither the police nor the HR&CE staff prevented the Muslim women from entering the temple.
Hindu Munnani State Secretary Kutraalanathan reported the incident to the temple office and the local police, who are now investigating the incident using CCTV footage.
On their official Twitter handle, Hindu Munnani said,”None of the temple staff even asked how they can enter the temple with black veil. When the Hindu Munnani functionaries came to know the information and arrived at the spot, the persons wearing the black veilss came out of the temple and started running without stopping. Why the person came, what they brought, and what they did is still a mystery.”
The Hindu Munnani also alleged that the women in black veil went up to the sanctum sanctorum (moolasthanam) and even took pictures of various places inside the temple.
Hindu Munnani leaders have decided to stage a protest in front of the temple to condemn the incident and the HR&CE officials’ failure to protect the temple’s sanctity.
நெல்லையப்பர் திருக்கோவிலில் பர்தாவுடன் பெண்? பாதுகாப்பு குறைபாடா ?
தைப்பூச தினமான இன்று , சுமார் 11:30 மணிக்கு கருப்பு நிற பர்தா அணிந்த நபர் கோவிலுக்குள் நுழைந்து மூலஸ்தானம் முன்பு வரை சென்று பல்வேறு இடங்களை படம் பிடித்துள்ளார் என தெரிய வருகிறது. pic.twitter.com/3tuNaxVRu0— Hindu Munnani (@hindumunnaniorg) February 5, 2023
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