Draw up plan to allow Kanaga Sabai darshan for all, Madras HC tells deekshithars

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the podhu deekshithars of Chidambaram Sabanayagar Temple on Thursday to devise a plan to give devotees a glimpse of Lord Natarajar from the Kanaga Sabai.

Hearing the case on Kanaga Sabai Darshan, a special bench of Justices R Suresh Kumar and S Sounthar observed that the court cannot allow discrimination against devotees and asked that Kanaga Sabai darshan be allowed.

The bench also clarified that no reservation or special ticket fare be levied for the Kanaga Sabai darshan as it may lean in favour of VIPs, depriving the common devotees of opportunity.

Representing the podhu deekshithars, advocate K Harishankar submitted an affidavit with the plan worked out to allow devotees to have Kanaga Sabai darshan.

A ramp will be constructed leading to Kanaga Sabai for devotees to have darshan, which will then lead to the western side exit as devotees are prohibited from the eastern point, said the advocate, elaborating on the plan and seeking to implement it.

However, the bench raised several apprehensions and observed that the plan would not be feasible to accommodate a huge crowd as the sketch revealed that only one point (western) would be made available for both entry and exit.

Special government pleader (SGP) NRR Arun Natarajan for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) relied upon the Thillai Sthala Puranam and submitted that it was custom and practice that devotees were allowed to enter through the eastern side to have darshan and exit through the western side, since two thousand years ago. If the plan of podhu deekshithars was implemented, the devotees could not see the god in the sanctum properly, which is not fair, he said.

The SGP argued that the deekshithars had blocked the eastern side entry point for their exclusive use, and if the east entry was opened for the public, then the issue could be sorted sans a ramp.

He also alleged that deekshithars profited from the situation by charging devotees money for Kanaga Sabai darshan.

Justice R Suresh Kumar observed that even they will be charged for the darshan after their retirement, hence, it is pertinent to reform the prevailing situation to arrive at a comprehensive solution.

Thus, the bench directed podhu deekshitars to come up with a definite sketch to ensure more numbers of devotees can be allowed to have a glimpse of lord Natarajar between the intervals of six kala pujas from Kanaga Sabai, as the time interval is minimal to allow thousands of devotees are coming to the temple in a day.

The bench also allowed the HR&CE to file a report with a solution. The matter was posted to March 6 for further proceedings.