Two rival groups offered worship at the Arulmigu Kodariamman Temple near Nayakkankottai village on the occasion of Pongal with police protection on Saturday.
Tension prevailed between the rival groups during the temple festival due to which the police refused permission to the groups to offer worship in the temple in the last two years.
Since both the groups preferred to offer worship at the temple on the Kannum Pongal day, the revenue officials held negotiations and allotted two different timings for the worship. While one group was asked to offer worship from 6 a.m. to noon; the other group was allotted the time between noon and 4 p.m.
A heavy police picket was posted in the vicinity of the temple to maintain law and order.
Boycott
Meanwhile, two rival communities which were at loggerheads on their rights over the affairs of Arulmigu Murugan Temple at Samisettipatti village desisted from offering worship in the temple on the occasion of Kannum Pongal on Saturday.
Revenue officials convened peace talks on January 16 to solve the temple row amicably so that the people of both the communities could offer worship on the Kannum Pongal day.
The peace talks did not succeed, as one group boycotted the same.
However, the officials allotted two separate timings for these groups to prepare Pongal and offer worship in the temple.
It was said that the group which boycotted the peace talks refused to accept of the decision of the authorities. Following this, the police was said to have advised the rival community to desist from offering worship in the temple.
Both the groups celebrated Pongal at their respective homes and in other temples in a peaceful manner, police sources said.
