Madras HC directs action against temple trustee for making reels, playing film songs before deity

Chennai, October 17 : The Madras High Court has directed the Commissioner and Executive Officer of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department to take action against a temple trustee and several women employees for reportedly recording videos inside the temple, dancing to film songs, and miming.

The prosecution charged that the temple trustee, Valarmathi, along with a few women employees, danced to film songs and mimed movie dialogues on Tamil New Year’s Day in front of the presiding deity, creating a comic Instagram reel.

The bench of Justice M. Dhandapani took serious note of the matter during the hearing and instructed the Special Government Pleader, appearing for the HR&CE Department, N.R.R. Arun Natarajan, to ensure appropriate action is taken against all involved.

The court has called for an action-taken report by October 29.

The orders were issued based on a writ petition filed by K. Jayaraprakash of Nagapattinam, seeking direction to the Commissioner and Executive Officer to take action against the trustee based on a representation made by him on August 13.

The petitioner’s counsel played the videos recorded by the trustee and the women employees on her mobile phone before the judge. At this, Justice Dhandapani expressed concern, stating: "People visit temples with a lot of devotion. How can a trustee and temple employees make a mockery by shooting comic videos, especially in front of the deity? The presiding deity will lose respect if such behaviour is allowed."

The court noted that the employees had mimed a comic dialogue from actor Vadivelu’s films it emphasised that both the trustee and all employees involved in the recording should face consequences. "This is not how a Dharmakartha (trustee) and temple employees should behave," it said.