TN: Priests suspended for decorating idol in 'salwar kameez'

Nagapattinam (Tamil Nadu) [India], Feb. 07 (ANI): Two priests of a temple in Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam district have been suspended for decorating the idol of the presiding deity in salwar kameez, a traditional outfit worn mostly in north India.

It is a usual practice in the temple to perform sandhana kaapu to the idol of Goddess Abayambigai and drape her in colour paper every Friday.

This time the priest changed the attire of the goddess from sari, a traditional apparel worn by women, and adorned the idol in a pink salwar kameez and blue dupatta, a piece of cloth thrown back around the shoulders.

However the move backfired after a photograph of it went viral in the social media, receiving flak from a section of devotees.

Soon after that, some temple officials and devotees opined that it was against the temple's rules, as per which the goddess should be decorated only with sari.

Temple officials said, "The head of Thiruvavaduthurai adheenam mutt Ambalavana Desiga Paramacharya Swamigal ordered the suspension of the two priests today."

"The Mutt administration has come to the decision of dismissing the priests after the criticisms aired by the devotees and senior priests of the 1,000-year-old temple," officials added. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI