Madras High Court on Non-Hindu Temple Entry and Vijay’s Example

Follow Chief Minister Vijay's example is the message from the Madras High

Court to non-Hindus wanting to enter temples in Tamil

Nadu.

The Madras High Court has once again ruled

that non-Hindus cannot enter temples in Tamil Nadu without

affirming their reverence for the presiding deity and agreeing

to follow the customs and practices of the temple,

much like what we

see in temples like Tirumala Tirupati.

But what was the reference to Chief Minister Vijay?

Chief Minister Vijay recently visited the Madurai Meenakshi Temple.

Those images are on your screens. And as a Christian,

he signed the mandatory

undertaking that he holds reverence for the presiding deity of the temple, Goddess

Meenakshi. Referring to this, the Madras High Court pulled up other

politicians in light of some incidents of non-Hindus entering temples in

Tamil Nadu, including aides of TVK ministers who

entered a famous temple in

Tiruvannamalai wearing skull caps.

So the High Court referring to Chief Minister Vijay said,

"A Christian by faith,

he was not asked to convert, but was only requested to affirm his reverence

for

the deity. This is what we call an inclusive

approach."