Chennai : The Vijay government has banned the carrying and use of smartphones inside 52 major temples across Tamil Nadu, with the new rules coming into effect on Tuesday. The restriction was announced by Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister Ramesh and comes in line with earlier directions of the Madras High Court.
Under the new system, devotees carrying smartphones will have to deposit them at dedicated counters set up at temple entrances. An acknowledgement slip/plastic token will be issued to the devotees, which they should retain when collecting their phones back. At the famed Devarajaswamy-Athi Varadar Temple in Kanchipuram, the system was rolled out from 6 am on Tuesday. Two computer operators and two assistants were deployed to collect the phones.
The restriction has drawn mixed reactions from devotees. The Hindu reported that while some welcomed the move as a way of maintaining the sanctity and peaceful atmosphere of temples, others questioned the security of phones deposited with temple authorities and the possibility of long queues at the counters. The HR&CE department said the directions were issued in accordance with a December 2, 2022, order of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.
An HR&CE circular said some devotees were still using mobile phones inside temple premises to take photographs, record videos, take selfies and shoot short videos or reels for social media. Such activities, it said, affected the peaceful and spiritual atmosphere of temples and caused inconvenience to other devotees. Temple authorities have been directed to put up clear boards at entrances and outside temple premises stating that mobile phone use is prohibited.
An official told the newspaper that some devotees had initially objected to the restriction, but temple authorities were explaining the exemption and expected people to gradually adapt to the new system. Temple staff have expressed concerns over the responsibility of safeguarding smartphones, The Hindu reported. A temple staff member told the newspaper that handling large numbers of smartphones would create considerable responsibility and stress for employees.
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