CUDDALORE: Two Dikshithars on Friday were booked for allegedly slapping a 61-year-old devotee over a spat at the Sri Natarajar temple. Chidambaram town police said that the duo has been booked under three sections for assaulting Karvannan, of Sivapuri village near Chidambaram.
Official sources said, Karvannan, a devotee of Shiva, can be seen cycling around Chidambaram and visits the temple in a saffron attire and rudraksha necklace. On Thursday evening, he went to the Nataraja temple when the Dikshithars were busy carrying the panchamurthy deity for its routine temple rounds. Police said that Karvannan stood in the way of the party that carried the deity and the Dikshithars had asked him to move aside in a harsh manner.
This garnered a retort from Karvannan and resulted in an argument between him and the two Dikshithars. Then Dikshithars Kanagasabapathi and Sri Varshan slapped the sexagenarian on his left cheek, police added. He was admitted to the Chidambaram government hospital and he lodged a police complaint, following which a case was registered under three sections against the Dikshithars. A probe is on.