Minister S Ramesh’s surprise Thiruchendur temple visit
An investigation is underway at the famous Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Tiruchendur after a priest allegedly demanded Rs 1,000 per head from the Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE), S. Ramesh, and his aides during a surprise inspection at 5:00 AM on Friday.
The incident occurred despite the temple administration recently suspending all paid darshan formats to ensure free, equal access for all devotees during the ongoing Vaigasi Visagam festival, scheduled between May 28 and 31.
Sources revealed that the Minister arrived at the temple unannounced and sent his Personal Assistant ahead to arrange darshan for a group of four through the Shanmugavilas Mandapam.
An archakar on duty allegedly demanded Rs 1,000 per person. The Minister’s PA subsequently transferred the requested Rs 4,000 via a digital payment mode.
Following the transaction, Minister Ramesh alerted senior temple officials, including the Joint Commissioner, about his presence.
The officials were reportedly caught off guard when the Minister confronted them with the digital payment receipt as proof of the malpractice.
He then demanded an explanation from top administrative officers regarding how a section of priests was still being allowed to fleece devotees.
The Minister later joined the general public, standing in the regular queue for two hours to offer his prayers.
Around 8:00 AM, he visited the Annadhanam Mandapam to inspect and taste the food being served to pilgrims.
Following his inspection, the Minister convened a high-level review meeting with Joint Commissioner Ramu, Executive Officer Superintendents Ramamurthu, Viveks, and Vijayalakshmi, along with Assistant Security Officer Ramachandran and other staff.
While Minister Ramesh interacted briefly with reporters post-meeting, he declined to address a formal press conference.
The incident highlights a persistent issue at the shrine, which has previously faced numerous complaints from pilgrims alleging that certain archakars illegally charge money to guide visitors through the VVIP pathway at the Shanmugavilas Mandapam.