CHENNAI: A clash broke out between Vaishavite priests belonging to Vadakalai and Thenkalai sects at a temple in Kancheepuram on Tuesday over the recital of a sloka during a temple procession. A video of the incident has, meanwhile, gone viral on social media.
According to Kancheepuram police, the brawl took place during a procession that commenced at Varadharaja Perumal Temple and headed to a hillock in Palayaseevaram village.
“The chanting of slokas by one of the groups enraged another section of priests. Soon, the argument turned into fisticuffs. Both groups, later, lodged complaints at Salavakkam police station. A CSR has been filed,” police added.
“Every year, a clash breaks out between the two sects during the ritual. The issue began several years ago, when one of the sects claimed that they should first recite the ‘Divya prabandham’ shloka. The Madras High Court had earlier passed an order directing each group to recite the verses one after the other,” the police sources added.