TIRUCHY: A day after petitioning the chief minister’s special cell that they were never allowed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the presiding deity since their appointment in 2021.
Two non-Brahmin priests of Subramanya Swamy Temple in Vayalur performed the Kumbabhishekam (consecration) ceremony at the temple on Wednesday. The move comes after the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department officials intervened in the matter.
The consecration ceremony went off peacefully. The last time it was held in 2006. The duo, S Prabu (34) and S Jayapal (34), appointed by the government under a state scheme allowing people from all castes to become priests, were appointed as priests at the temple under the ‘Anaivarum Archagar Aagalam’ scheme.
The Kumbabhishekam ceremony was performed by pouring holy water into the Kalashams at the temple at 9.15 am. Thousands of devotees from various districts attended the event. Additionally, 1,000 police personnel were deployed around the temple for the safety of the devotees and for managing traffic.
The two priests had alleged in the petition that they were also barred from performing rituals during the Kumbabhishekam.
Taking note of their petition, HR&CE department officials took action and allowed Prabu and Jayapal to participate in the consecration ceremony on Wednesday. They took part in the ‘Yaga Salai Pooja’ and performed rituals, including pouring holy water into the Kalashams atop the temple tower.
Subsequently, HR&CE Minister PK Sekarbabu shared a post on social media, saying that the two priests performed all the rituals at the Yaga Salai for the consecration. Through this initiative, the wishes of Periyar, Kalaignar Karunanidhi and CM MK Stalin were fulfilled.
During the Kumbabhishekam, Express Publications (Madurai) distributed snacks and water bottles to 2,000 devotees through their sponsors.