Online booking in 5 major temples soon: Sekar Babu
The temples identified for the rollout include Tiruchendur, Palani, and Tiruvannamalai, he said after attending the consecration ceremony in Tiruchendur.
Addressing reporters, the minister said more than five lakh devotees took part and that all hymns were recited exclusively in Tamil. "Only Tamil hymns were used throughout the rituals," he said, denying claims that Sanskrit hymns were also chanted.
As part of the temple's ongoing Rs300 crore development project, a 52-bed dormitory was opened for pilgrims.
The facility, with a Rs500 tariff per bed, aims to provide affordable accommodation, the minister said. He added that renovation work will continue at other temple sites, including Saravana Poigai and Aali Kenaru.
Responding to questions about the Hindu Munnani's recent Murugan conference in Madurai, Sekar Babu drew a contrast, saying, "The difference is simple—our conference was about Lord Murugan, theirs was political and they even spoke against our leaders like Annadurai and Periyar. In our event, did we speak anything political or did we speak against any other leaders? We didn't."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
Posts against PM, RSS: Cartoonist moves SC for anticipatory bail
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear the anticipatory bail plea of Indore-based cartoonist accused of uploading 'objectionable' cartoons of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS workers on social media. A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi agreed to hear on July 14, the plea filed by Hemant Malviya challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court order refusing to grant him relief after advocate Vrinda Grover sought urgent hearing in the matter. The high court had observed that it was a gross misuse of freedom of speech. Grover submitted the matter pertains to a cartoon which Malviya made in 2021 during Covid and the high court said no landmark cases like in Arnesh Kumar and Imran Pratapgarhi, which dealt with life and liberty, will be followed. She submitted that the high court has condemned the cartoonist, 'The offence is under BNS which entails a maximum of three years of punishment,' Grover submitted. Justice Dhulia ordered that the matter will be listed on July 14 before the appropriate bench. On July 3, the high court refused to grant anticipatory bail to Malviya. A FIR was registered against Malviya at Lasudiya police station of Indore in May on the complaint of local lawyer and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh worker Vinay Joshi. Malviya hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus and disturbed communal harmony by uploading objectionable material on social media, the complaint alleged. The FIR mentioned various 'objectionable' posts, including allegedly inappropriate comments on Lord Shiva as well as cartoons, videos, photographs and comments regarding Modi, RSS workers and others. '...on the face of it, the conduct of the applicant in depicting the RSS, which is a Hindu organisation, along with the prime minister of this country in the aforesaid caricature, coupled with his endorsement of a rather demeaning remark, dragging unnecessarily the name of Lord Shiva in the comments tagged to it, is nothing but sheer misuse of freedom of speech and expression as enshrined under Art 19(1)(a) of the Constitution...,' the high court said. '...the post becomes more unsettling when the aforementioned derogatory lines involving Lord Shiva are also added to it, and which have also been favourably endorsed by the applicant himself who is also encouraging other people to experiment with the said caricature, which certainly cannot be said to be made in good taste or faith,' the high court had further said in its order. The high court had added it was apparent that it was a deliberate and malicious attempt to outrage religious feelings and Malviya 'clearly overstepped the threshold of freedom of speech and expression'. 'In view of the same, this Court is of the considered opinion that the custodial interrogation of the applicant would be necessary,' the high court had said.
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
‘What If Non-Marathi Speakers Left...?' Before That See What Happened When Nashik Man Was Held In Haryana
Haryana Man's Message On Unity Amid the noise, a video from Haryana is standing out for its calm and powerful message. Shared on Instagram, it begins with a man walking up to a group of labourers and asking, 'Who is from Maharashtra? Call them." One worker steps forward and says he is from Nashik. The Haryanvi man demands, 'Speak in Haryanvi." The man from Nashik replies that he does not know the language. The questions continue, 'How did you come here? How are you working here?" which leaves the worker silent. But then, the tone shifts. The man breaks into a smile and says, 'If you don't work here, who will? This is your country, do whatever you like. This is India, Bharat." The caption on the video reads, 'India's strength lies in its diversity—let's stop the language hate and come together as one." Watch the video here: 'Don't Use Shivaji's Name For Language Policing': Creator Explains With History Another video, shared by Jatin Bhatt on Instagram, challenges those using Maratha leader Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's name to justify the targeting of Hindi speakers. Shivaji Maharaj was the founder of the Maratha Empire. 'In Maharashtra, common people are being beaten for not speaking Marathi. And those doing it claim they are acting in the spirit of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," he says. Jatin then explains, 'He knew more than nine languages fluently – including Persian and Sanskrit. When he wrote to Aurangzeb, he did so in Persian. And in his entire reign, he never punished anyone for not speaking Marathi." Jatin adds that Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, also had deep respect for languages. 'He knew more than thirteen languages fluently. It's said that he spoke Persian better than the Mughals themselves. He wrote all his poetry in Hindi. He wrote three books – Nayika Bhed, Nakshik and Saat Shatak. All of them are in Hindi and Braj – the language of Uttar Pradesh. He also wrote one book in Sanskrit. Not even one book of Sambhaji Maharaj is in Marathi," Jatin continues. He concludes by saying, 'So please, stop defaming Shivaji and Sambhaji Maharaj in the name of language. Personally, I love Marathi, some of my closest friends are Marathi. They speak in Marathi among themselves but switch to Hindi in front of me so I can understand. And I keep trying to learn Marathi too. But if you grab someone's collar and force them to 'speak Marathi," even those trying to learn will stop learning. So, to all my Marathi brothers and sisters, please don't let political agents tarnish the image of all of Maharashtra and Marathi people. That's all. Jai Hind!" What If Non-Speakers Leave Maharashtra? While some are looking to history, others are turning to numbers. Creator Shivam Sharma shared a video on Instagram asking viewers to imagine the consequences if all non-Marathi speakers left Maharashtra. He begins by talking about business and economy, saying, 'Even though Maharashtra is India's richest state, only one of the top five businessmen here is Marathi." He then highlights Bollywood's contribution to the state's GDP. 'Bollywood alone contributes Rs 18,000 crore a year, and 90 per cent of those involved are Hindi speakers. Icons like Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, who define Mumbai's film industry, are from Hindi-speaking states," he continued. Shivam also points to the role of other states in powering Maharashtra's infrastructure, 'Maharashtra doesn't have coal, uranium, or iron. These come from Hindi-speaking regions like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh. If the supply stops, electricity and infrastructure projects will come to a halt." advetisement Talking about national security and social responsibility, he said, 'Marine Commando Praveen Teotia, who risked his life during the 2008 Mumbai attacks, is from Uttar Pradesh." Shivam concludes with a powerful message: 'The Constitution gives every Indian the right to work and speak any language in any state. I respect Marathi and its people, but I speak Hindi with pride." What Is The Controversy About?
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
In spirit of brotherhood, a tribute to ‘Op Sindoor'
A symbol of interfaith harmony and national pride is taking shape in Meerut's Sadar Bazaar. A group of Hindu and Muslim youngsters have come together to build a grand 'kanwar' that has been named 'Operation Sindoor' to celebrate the country's military prowess and the spirit of communal unity. (HT) The initiative is being led by Gaurav, who, with 20 of his companions, is crafting the kanwar as an expression of both devotion and patriotism. It will be taken to Haridwar on July 15. The group will collect holy Ganga water on July 16 and return to Meerut. What makes this kanwar remarkable is not just its scale — 10 feet tall and 12 feet wide — but also its design, which features a statue of Bharat Mata (Mother India), a model of a Rafale fighter jet, an Army tank, and temples, showcasing India's military might and spiritual heritage. 'This is not just a kanwar, but also a glimpse of our nation's strength,' said Neeraj Dhameja, an artisan working on the project. The sentiment was echoed by Imam Shahnawaz Jamali of the local mosque, who has been actively supporting the initiative. 'We stand with our nation. The path of religion passes through humanity. Our unity against terrorism is the real strength of this country,' he said. Gaurav said the kanwar was also dedicated to the 26 innocent people killed in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, as well as to India's armed forces and martyrs. The brutal attack had sparked nationwide anger, and the Indian Army responded decisively, delivering a strong blow to terrorists and those supporting them across the border. 'Operation Sindoor is a symbolic tribute to those who lost their lives and to the bravery of our armed forces who defended the nation with unmatched courage,' Gaurav said. This special kanwar will be brought from Haridwar, and the Jalabhishek (ritual water offering) will be performed at the famous Augharnath Temple in Meerut.
