The Tiruchendur Subramaniya Swamy Temple, located in the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu and recognised as the second sacred abode of Lord Murugan among the six Arupadai Veedu, is experiencing a marked decrease in the number of devotees following the conclusion of the summer holiday period.
During the past month, large numbers of pilgrims from Tamil Nadu and other states had visited the temple to offer prayers to Lord Murugan. The temple typically accommodates thousands of visitors daily for darshan.
With schools scheduled to reopen on January 31, many devotees who had returned to their native places for the holidays have now departed for their workplaces in cities including Chennai, Bengaluru, Madurai, and Coimbatore. Consequently, the temple premises are notably less crowded.
The area in front of the Shanmuga Vilasa Mandapam, situated at the temple entrance, appeared unusually quiet and devoid of the customary crowd and activity.
This follows recent allegations raised during an inspection by the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department Minister that devotees were being permitted entry into the mandapam in exchange for payments. Currently, the mandapam remains largely empty and calm.
Both the ₹100 special darshan queue and the free darshan queue areas are free from their usual crowds, contributing to a serene atmosphere within the temple grounds.
Earlier, Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister Ramesh stated that appropriate action would be taken against those responsible for irregularities at the Tiruchendur Subramaniya Swamy Temple. The minister conducted a surprise inspection following allegations that temple priests were involved in bribery.
Minister Ramesh has been performing inspections at the temple since 6 am. According to the allegations, some priests, allegedly unaware of the minister and his assistant's identities, demanded and received Rs 4,000 as a bribe to facilitate darshan of Lord Murugan.
After the alleged incident, the minister continued inspections in various parts of the temple.
Addressing reporters in Thoothukudi, Minister Ramesh said: "Only explanation letters have been obtained from those who committed mistakes among the temple officials. No apology letters have been sought. Whoever is found to have committed wrongdoing at the Tiruchendur Subramaniya Swamy Temple will face appropriate action."
He also noted that inspections are ongoing in different areas of the temple, adding: "Further inspections are yet to be conducted in various parts of the temple. After the completion of the inspection, full details of today's incidents and findings will be provided to you."