1 Priests Arrested for Obstructing Government's Duty at Nataraja Temple: Unveiling the Podhu Dikshitars and the Controversy
The Chidambaram town police in Cuddalore district have filed charges against 11 hereditary priests called podhu dikshitars, who are responsible for the Lord Nataraja Temple
The Chidambaram town police in Cuddalore district have filed charges against 11 hereditary priests called podhu dikshitars, who are responsible for the Lord Nataraja Temple. They have been accused of obstructing officials from the Hindu religious and charitable endowment department (HR&CE) from performing their duties.
Recently, the dikshitars refused to allow devotees to offer prayers from the holy stage in the temple. They displayed a board stating that devotees would not be allowed to pray from the holy stage during the ongoing festival, Aani Thirumanjanam, from the eighth day until its conclusion on June 27.
HR&CE officials tried to remove the board but faced opposition from the dikshitars. Consequently, the executive officer of HR&CE filed a complaint with the police, leading to the booking of the committee secretary, Sivarama Dikshitar, and 10 others.
On Tuesday, district officials held discussions with the dikshitars to resolve the issue. However, the dikshitars maintained that devotees could only offer prayers from the holy stage starting from Wednesday. Nevertheless, the police managed to allow a few devotees to pray from the holy stage on Tuesday night.
The Tamil Nadu government had previously issued an order allowing devotees to offer prayers from the holy stage at the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple. However, the dikshitars had prohibited it since the COVID-19 lockdown began in March 2020. The government intervened in May last year.
The HR&CE Minister, P K Sekar Babu, stated that the government aims to bring the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple under the administrative control of HR&CE. He mentioned that the priests want the temple to be declared as a denomination temple exclusively for a specific sect or community.
Accusations have been made against the Podu Dikshitars, who manage the temple, for not providing information about temple funds or assets to the government. The government is working to include this shrine under the control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department.
The Supreme Court had previously ruled in 2014 that the Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram should be managed by the priests rather than the state government. The court deemed the government's order from July 1987, which appointed an executive officer for the temple, as arbitrary and illegal.
The Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, also known as the Thillai Natarajar Temple, was built during the 12th-13th century. The temple is associated with Lord Shiva in three forms: Nataraja, the cosmic dancer; a Spatika Linga (a crystal phallus); and an invisible space within the sanctum sanctorum.
The Podu Dikshitars are an endogamous clan exclusive to Chidambaram and are responsible for managing the temple. They dedicate their lives to serving Lord Nataraja and the Chidambaram temple.
The temple has a significant history and has received grants and devotion from various dynasties throughout the years. The Dikshitars have been known for their commitment to defending the rights and sanctity of the temple.
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