Meenakshi temple closed for two hours after devotee dies

MADURAI

Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple here was closed for around two hours for purification rituals on Friday morning after a woman devotee died inside the temple, reportedly due to heart attack.

According to temple authorities, N. Maheswari, 62, a resident of Villapuram here, came to the temple accompanied by her husband. When the two were waiting in the queue for free darshan around 7 a.m., she collapsed, soon after which an ambulance was called.

The Emergency Medical Technicians of the 108 ambulance service, who reached the spot, however, examined her and said that she had already died.

Following this, all the devotees inside the temple were asked to evacuate the premises. N. Natarajan, Executive Officer, Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, said that the entrances were closed for nearly two hours for performing purification rituals and cleaning of the temple premises with water.

He said that the process was always practised whenever there were deaths within the temple premises.