Group stopped from reciting verses in Tamil

Group stopped from reciting verses in Tamil at Shiva temple - Newindpress.com: "Police foiled an attempt of a group led by an ‘Odhuvar’ to recite devotional hymns in Tamil at the famous Nataraja temple with the arrest of 76 people, including the Odhuvar and seven women, in Chidambaram on Saturday.

Odhuvar and volunteers of Manitha Urimai Padhukappu Maiyam, Vivasaigal Vidutahlai Munnani, Pudhiya Jananaiyaka Thozhilalar Munnani, Makkal Kalai Ilakkiya Kazhagam, Tamil Ilakkiya Pervai, Dravidar Kazhagam, Pattali Makkal Katchi and Dalit Panther’s of India, proceeded to the shrine defying prohibitory orders, which was clamped to scuttle the move apprehending tension in the temple town, on Saturday morning.

In the wake of the recent government order allowing persons from all castes to become ‘archakars’ and recite devotional hymns in their mother tongue at temples, Arumugasamy (73), an Odhuvar at Naalvar Madam in Kumudimoolai near Bhuvanagiri, had sought police security for reciting hymns in Tamil at the ‘Chit Saba’ in the temple a week ago. Arumugasamy, who belonged to a Vanniya community, had proposed to sing verses from Devaram and Thiruvasagam for six days from July 15.

The Deekshidars, who control all affairs of the temple, objected to this and obtained a ban order from a munsif court in Chidambaram two days ago. The court had prevented the Odhuvar from undertaking the move till July 20. "