2 priests suspended for decorating main deity with salwar-kameez

Team Udayavani, Feb 6, 2018, 8:46 AM IST

Nagapattinam: Two priests at a temple in Mayiladuthurai in the district have been suspended for decorating the main deity of the goddess in salwar-kameez with sandal paste, reportedly going against ‘agama’ traditions.

The priests had gone about the decoration on February 2, an auspicious day in the Tamil month of Thai, when a sandalwood decoration is done, as they were encouraged by the positive response they got to one done in Gujarati style on January 26, another propitious day. However, the move backfired after a photograph of it went viral in the social media, receiving flak from a section of devotees.

Though the decoration was not derogatory, some temple officials and devotees opined that it was against the temple agama rules, as per which the goddess should be decorated only with saree. Following this, the head of Thiruvavaduthurai adheenam mutt Ambalavana Desiga Paramacharya Swamigal ordered the suspension of the two priests today, temple officials said. The Mayooranathaswamy temple in that town is one among the ancient Shiva temples located in the riverbed of Cauvery, built during the Chola period.