A 29-year-old man holding a soiled bag near the sanctum sanctorum at the Srirangam Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple caused anxious moments on Wednesday morning.
The man, identified as R. Dharmaraj of Thiruvadaimaruthur in Thanjavur district, was said to be mentally unstable.
Dharmaraj was standing in the queue along with other devotees around 10.30 a.m. when he dropped his bag on the step near the sanctum sanctorum , causing a flutter.
The temple staff took him out and found a scissor, a penknife and discarded clothes in the bag. The incident went viral on social media and it was claimed that the man had flung the bag near the sanctum sanctorum . Temple authorities, however, maintained that the man had dropped the bag on the step near the sanctum sanctorum . The temple authorities performed Panchakavya Prokshana , a cleansing ritual, after the incident.
The police said Dharmaraj had abused the temple security staff and prevented them from discharging their duty when they checked the bag. The Srirangam police arrested Dharmaraj and booked a case against him.
The temple authorities have placed a request before the police to check personal belongings of devotees at all the three entrances of the shrine before letting them inside, and to intensify surveillance and security.
