MADURAI: Alleging that an official of the Meenakshi temple restricted her from entering the temple for darshan, actor-turned-politician Namitha said she was asked to furnish proof of her being a Hindu. After she explained that she was a Hindu, she was asked to apply ‘kumgumam’ (vermillion) to her forehead before she was allowed to enter the temple. A video of the actress raising her voice against the officials also went viral on social media platforms.
Speaking to media, Namitha said she visited the temple along with her husband on Krishna Janmashtami. The couple was stopped by a temple official, who asked them to furnish proof of their being Hindus to enter the temple.
“To not draw attention and cause crowding, we wore masks during our visit. Even as we explained, they insisted that we produce some proof. We have visited various temples, including the Tirupati temple, but this is the first time we were told to provide proof of our religion,” Namitha said.
“Despite being a known person, I had to go through such a situation. What happens if a tourist from another part of the country or one from another country visits the temple? Will they also be treated like this? That will malign the temple’s image,” Namitha added.
Meanwhile, a senior official from Meenakshi temple said only Hindus are allowed to enter in some parts of the temple, and therefore, officials ask visitors about their religion before they are allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum. Though there was an argument, the actress was allowed to have the darshan of the deity.