Form spl queue for diffabled in temples: HC

MADURAI: The Madurai bench of Madras High Court on Monday directed the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department to ensure a separate queue for entry of the differently abled, pregnant women, mothers with infants, and those requiring medical attention to temples for quick darshan.

B Ramkumar Adityan from Tiruchendur in a PIL said most of the HR&CE temples have two darshan categories such as general darshan and special entrance. A sum of Rs100 is collected from a devotee for special darshan. But there’s no time slot for darshan in some temples. Some other temples have fixed a time slot, but those who purchased online tickets have to wait in a queue.

For general darshan, no entry charge is collected from devotees and there’s no time slot for them. But those who came first would be allowed to worship the main deity.

The VVIPs or VIPs, who are allowed to have darshan without any restrictions on time, were causing inconvenience to the general public. Therefore, the HR&CE authorities should fix a separate time slot for darshan for notified VVIPS and VIPs. It is important to provide priority darshan to senior citizens, physically challenged persons, pregnant women, mothers with infants, and in medical cases such as kidney transplantation, open heart surgery, dialysis, liver transplantation, brain surgery, cancer, and spine surgery, who require more care.

Citing these, the petitioner demanded effective steps to maintain a separate queue for issuing special darshan tickets and separate queues for entry to temples for special darshan and online ticket holders.

A division bench of Justices R Suresh Kumar and KK Ramakrishnan, after hearing, said about 50 per cent of those approaching temples were senior citizens and people with health needs.

Hence, the petitioner’s prayer was justifiable. The bench then ordered the HR&CE department to implement the order within twelve weeks.