Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department has taken over the management and administration of ‘Navapashana Navagraha Temple,’ the historic sea temple at Devipattinam near here.
Acting on the orders of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, the department took control of the temple from the local panchayat on Monday and launched cleaning operation by banning dropping of clothes and ‘navadhaniyam’ (nine grains) into the sea.
“The takeover was smooth and we faced no problem,” G. Selvi, Executive Officer of Vettudaiyal Kali AmmanTemple, Kollangudi, Sivaganga, who was appointed as Fit Person to administer the sea temple, said.
A division bench, comprising Justice V. Ramasubramanian and Justice N. Kirubakaran, in its order on November 13 had directed the local panchayat president to hand over the temple to the Fit Person appointed by the HR and CE Department.
Ms. Selvi told The Hindu that a local person who had taken contract for collecting entry fee from devotees had been asked to vacate the premises and the department had stopped collecting entry fee from Monday. As directed, she would file a report before the court on December 3 on steps taken to implement the suggestions made by the Advocate Commissioner, who inspected the temple in August and submitted a report to the court on the state of affairs.
“We will accord top priority for cleanliness,” Ms. Selvi, who visited the temple with S. Sundareswari, Inspector, HR and CE, Ramanathapuram division, and M. Muruganandam, Inspector, HR and CE, Karaikudi division, said.
The department had removed all unauthorised priests who conducted pujas for pilgrims, she said, adding four priests who were well-versed with ‘Agama’ rules would be appointed.
Dropping clothes into the sea was against Agama rules and if the pilgrims insisted on dropping clothes after offering worship, the clothes would be removed immediately, she said.
Legend has it that Lord Rama installed stone idols of Navagrahas in the sea to appease the planetary deities before he went to Sri Lanka to wage a war against King Ravana to rescue his wife Seetha.
