CHENNAI: The state unit of the BJP on Sunday stoutly opposed the HR and CE Department’s proposal to fix fees for people performing ‘Thila Tharpanam’ and ‘Pinda Pooja’ in memory of their ancestors near Agni Theertham on the seashore in Rameswaram.
The Ramanathaswamy temple has called for any objections to the proposal by March 20. According to the proposal, a sum of Rs 200 will be charged for ‘Thila Tharpanam’, and of this, Rs 120 will be taken by the temple and Rs 80 will be given to the priest. Similarly, for ‘Pinda Pooja’, Rs 400 will be charged and of this, Rs 240 will go to the temple and Rs 160 will be given to the priest.
ANS Prasad, spokesperson of the BJP’s state unit, in a statement charged that the DMK government is planning to extract crores of rupees from lakhs of devotees who would be visiting Rameswaram for performing rituals to their ancestors. The state should give up this proposal immediately or else it would face the wrath of the people, he added.