Madurai bench seeks TN govt report on plea for giving equal importance to Tamil, Sanskrit hymns in temple

Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Thursday directed the Tamil Nadu government to file a report on whether mantras are being recited in Tamil in the temples.

The case pertains to a public interest petition (PIL) filed by a petitioner from the Karur district of Tamil Nadu in the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court demanding to give equal importance to both Tamil and Sanskrit hymns/mantras during the upcoming consecration ceremony at Palani Murugan temple.

The petition was based on the 2020 judgement of the Madras High Court that mantras should be recited in Tamil in temples.

The petition stated, that the famous Tamil temple Palani Murugan, which is revered as the Tamil God Murugan is going to hold a consecration ceremony on January 27, 2023. For the past few years' mantras here have been recited in Sanskrit during the consecration ceremony despite having many mantras in Tamil. In the year 2020, the Madras High Court issued an order that mantras should be recited in Tamil in all the temple baths in Tamil Nadu. The order also applies to the Palani Murugan temple.

Therefore, based on that, the mantra should be ordered to be recited in Tamil during the consecration ceremony in the Palani Murugan temple, the petition added.

A two-judge bench comprising Justices Krishnakumar and Vijayakumar heard the petition and sought a report from the Tamil Nadu government on the PIL.

The government counsel told the court that already steps are being taken in view of the earlier directions issued by the court in connection with Thanjavur Periya Kovil temple.

"The government needs to file a status report on whether mantras are being recited in Tamil at the consecration ceremony in the Palani Murugan temple," the court ordered.

In December the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to take steps to promote the Tamil language.

( With inputs from ANI )

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