Madras HC directs Tamil Nadu govt to implement mobile phone ban in state temples - The Tribune India

PTI

Madurai, December 3

The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu authorities to instrumentality a prohibition against the usage of mobile phones successful temples crossed Tamil Nadu, "so arsenic to support the purity and sanctity."

Justice R Mahadevan and Justice J Sathya Narayana Prasad of the HC Bench present gave the absorption to the State Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) Department connected Friday portion proceeding a nationalist involvement litigation (PIL).

Petitioner M Seetharaman sought a absorption to the authorities acrophobic to instrumentality effectual measures to prohibit the possession and usage of android cellphones wrong the premises of Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple astatine Tiruchendur successful Tuticorin territory successful the State. It is 1 of the six abodes of Lord Muruga.

Among others, the petitioner contended that since the said temple is an past shrine, for escaped and peaceful dharsan, the usage of camera to videograph oregon photograph the Deeparathanai, poojas and different rituals is simply a hindrance. All the devotees are successful possession of mobile phones and they instrumentality photographs oregon videos wrong the premises of the temple, without immoderate restrictions.

Taking photographs of the invaluable idols is not lone contrary to the Agama Rules (related to a temple's rituals), but besides endangers the information of the temple and its valuables, helium submitted.

The petitioner besides expressed apprehension of photographs of women devotees being taken without their consent, which volition beryllium misused.

The tribunal was informed by the temple authorities that steps person been taken to enforce restrictions for usage of compartment phones by the priest, devotees, nationalist and others wrong the shrine, name self-help groups to supervise the usage of compartment phones and acceptable up information counters for deposit of compartment phones.

"In the airy of the aforesaid report, which discloses that the 2nd responsive (Executive Officer/Joint Commissioner) has already taken each effectual measures for prohibition connected mobile phones, decent formal code, etc. wrong the premises of the taxable temple, this tribunal directs the responsive authorities to instrumentality the aforesaid conditions successful missive and spirit, too directing the Superintendent of Police and the District Collector of Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) District, to accede to the petition made by the 2nd respondent."

"The archetypal responsive (The Commissioner, HR&CE) is directed to comply the supra directions successful each the temples of Tamil Nadu truthful arsenic to support the purity and sanctity," the seat ruled.

The judges said temples are large institutions and they person traditionally been cardinal to each one's life.

"It is not lone a spot of worship, but besides integral to the socio-cultural and economical beingness of people. It is simply a surviving contented that inactive draws hundreds of thousands of devotees seeking to acquisition divinity and spirituality offered by the temple. The systems and structures which enactment this experience, marque a temple to person its ain absorption needs," the seat said.

While determination cannot beryllium immoderate quality that nether Article 25 of the Constitution, each radical are entitled to freely profess, signifier and propagate religion, however, specified state to enactment and practise tin beryllium taxable to regulations, wrong the premises of the temple.

"The Rules nether the Tamil Nadu Temple Entry Authorization Act, 1947 besides prescribe definite codification of behaviour for attraction of bid and decorum successful the temple, isolated from the regulations made by the trustee oregon authorization arsenic the lawsuit may," the tribunal said.

The seat pointed retired a prohibition connected mobile phones has been introduced and successfully implemented successful The Sri Krishna Temple astatine Guruvayur (Kerala), Meenakshi Amman Temple astatine Madurai and Sri Venkateshwara Temple astatine Tirupati successful Andhra Pradesh.

There are abstracted information counters successful each of these temples to deposit mobile telephone earlier entering the premises, it said.