MADURAI: Holding that God understands all languages, and not just Sanskrit, the Madurai Bench of the Madras HC recently ordered that Tamil hymns should also be chanted, along with Sanskrit ones, during consecration ceremonies in temples across the State.
A division bench of Justices N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi also directed the State government to form a committee, comprising Tamil scholars, devotees and believers, to identify and consolidate the ancient Tamil hymns composed by saints like Nayanmars and Alwars.
The Bench passed the order while disposing of a PIL filed by one D Ponnusamy of Chennai last year, who had sought direction for conducting the consecration ceremony of Pasupatheeswarar temple at Karur in Tamil.
Justice Kirubakaran observed, “In our country, people have been made to believe that Sanskrit alone is God’s language and no other language is equivalent to it. No doubt Sanskrit is an ancient language with enormous ancient literature. However, a belief has been spread that only if the Sanskrit Vedas are recited, the Gods would listen to prayers.”