Attack on Hindu practices: Tamil Nadu government body bans Hindu temple priests from receiving Dakshina
Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India 
6 February, 2025
Case Summary
At the Dandayuthapani Swami temple in Madurai, Hindu priests were banned from receiving any dakshina (monetary offerings) from Hindu devotees. The temple administration had announced the ban. The administration is controlled by the Tamil Nadu HR & CE Department. The practice of offering Dakshina holds great importance in Hinduism as a sacred offering given to temple priests in gratitude for their spiritual services and rituals. It is not merely a monetary gift but an expression of respect, reverence, and support for the priests who dedicate their lives to performing religious ceremonies and guiding devotees. The tradition of giving dakshina sustains the livelihood of priests and ensures the continuity of age-old rituals that connect the Hindu community with their faith. Media reports stated that the HR & CE issued a circular forbidding priests from accepting dakshina given by devotees. The circular stated: "At the Thandayutha Swamy Temple located on Netaji Road in Madurai, priests should not take offerings placed by devotees on the aarti plate. They should only collect the money and deposit it in the money box; otherwise, strict action will be taken." The local Hindu group Indu Makkal Katchi condemned this circular, calling it unnecessary state interference in Hindu rituals. Solaikannan, the Madurai district leader of the party, said that temple priests received no salaries from the HR & CE department and relied solely on dakshina given by devotees for their livelihood. He added that the order violated the Hindu Religious Endowment Act and warned that large mass agitations would be organised if the order was not revoked. Public outrage over this issue led the HR & CE department to withdraw the order. On 9th February 2025, K. Chelladurai, the joint commissioner of the department, stated: "There was no need to issue a circular since the priests at the temple had been submitting the collections in the hundi, as was the existing practice." He also requested an explanation from the executive officer regarding the issuance of the order. Reports also stated that previously, in April 2024, four priests at the Vanabadrakaliamman Temple in Coimbatore district were arrested for keeping dakshina given by devotees in their pooja thalis.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Restriction/ban on Hindu practices. The subcategory selected is- Administration restricting religious practice. In several cases, it is seen that the administration/state disallows a religious practice owing to prejudicial orders and concerns, targeted specifically against the Hindu community. Such restriction/prohibition would be considered documented as a hate crime because the orders are often a result of pressure by groups that harbour animosity towards Hinduism and Hindus. Often, the restriction by the authorities is driven by bias, hostility, or prejudice against the specific community being stopped from holding a religious practice, by pressure groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus, intrinsic to their faith. Since practices are intrinsic to the faith of the Hindus, such prejudicial restriction is considered a curtailing of the fundamental rights of the Hindu community. In several cases, for example, the authorities ban a Hindu religious practice due to pressure from groups opposed to the religion. In other instances the prohibition is selectively enforced against one religious group (Hindus) while others are allowed to proceed. There are still other cases where the authorities preemptively restrict a religious practice by Hindus because those who hold animosity towards Hindus may get “provoked” leading to them being violent, thereby assuaging the sentiments of those who hold animosity towards Hindus by curtailing the religious rights of Hindus. Such acts and orders are prejudiced, indicating discriminatory motives owing to the capitulation to groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus and therefore, would be categorized as a religiously motivated hate crime since the original pressure leading to the order itself is a result of hatred/bias/prejudice/religious hate against Hindus. This case is an example of a hate crime against Hindus and their sacred temples, primarily due to the state’s interference that desecrated a long-standing religious tradition. The practice of giving dakshina, or monetary offerings, to temple priests holds immense significance in Hinduism. Dakshina is not merely a donation; it is a gesture of gratitude, respect, and recognition for services rendered by priests during rituals and ceremonies. It sustains the livelihoods of the priests and preserves the sanctity and continuity of Hindu worship in sacred temples. The temple priests in Hinduism—those who conduct daily poojas and rituals—depend largely on dakshina from devotees for their subsistence. The banning of this practice and the state’s issuance of orders prohibiting priests from accepting these offerings represented an overt and unwarranted intrusion into the religious and cultural practices of Hindus. Such state-backed attempts to disrupt or control temple affairs are an affront to Hindu sentiments and constitute a deliberate effort to desecrate Hindu faith and sacred temples that have been revered for generations. This incident was not isolated. Prior to this, a similar case had occurred at the Vanabadrakaliamman Temple in Coimbatore, where priests were arrested for retaining dakshina given by devotees. This repetition highlights a pattern of targeting Hindu places of worship and their rituals, reflecting a broader, systemic interference by the state in Hindu religious life. The deliberate undermining of the tradition of dakshina and the continuous interference in temple management by the HR & CE department showcase religious animosity towards Hindus. The criminalisation of old religious practices and the weakening of temple autonomy further evidence that these actions were motivated by hostility towards Hindus and their sacred rituals. Accordingly, this case has been added to the hate crime database in the Hinduphobia Tracker as it fits the parameters of a hate crime distinctly aimed at harming the Hindu community and its religious heritage.
Case Status
Case adjudicated
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
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