Sacred space defiled as man eats non-vegetarian food inside Annamalai temple
Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India 
10 June, 2025
Case Summary
In Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, a man was found eating non-vegetarian food inside the Annamalai temple premises. The incident occurred in the Fourth Praharam (outer courtyard) of the temple, where devotees noticed the individual eating and promptly informed temple authorities. When approached, the man stated that he had ordered plain biryani ('kuska'), but a piece of chicken had been 'mistakenly' included in the meal. Temple officials instructed him to remove the food from the premises and informed the District Police, who took the man in for further questioning. At the time of writing this report, the investigation into the incident was ongoing.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu Religious Representations. The subcategory selected is- Defiling Religious Customs. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. There are several such customs and traditions that are followed by various Hindus and Hindu sects. Defiling of these traditions and customs is a breach of an individual or group’s religious practices. Such practices can range from dietary restrictions like not eating non-vegetarian food for a certain period of the year, not eating non-vegetarian food at all, not eating beef since the cow is considered holy in Hinduism, the sanctity of religious customs followed in the house (like many ISCKON devotees), etc. Any malicious action leading to the breach of such traditions or defilement of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the religion itself but also from disregard for the faith of the devotees who follow the customs/traditions and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific sect of Hindus, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The second sub-category relevant here is- Breaking rules of place of worship. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. One of these oral traditions or written traditions is the rules of specific temples. Certain temples have rules which are traditional rules, dependent on the worship of the presiding deities. These rules and traditions have been followed for thousands of years whether they find scriptural mention or not. Such traditions are based on the nature and rules of worship of the presiding deity of that temple. Any non-compliance of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the presiding deity but also disregard for the faith of the devotees of that deity/temple and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition and the deity itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific temple and presiding deity, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The incident at the Annamalai temple in Thiruvannamalai, where a man was found consuming non-vegetarian food within the temple premises, constitutes an act of defiling religious customs. In temple spaces, strict dietary customs such as the prohibition of meat are deeply sacred. These are not casual preferences but expressions of spiritual discipline, purity, and reverence passed down over millennia. Violating these customs within a temple, a space held to be profoundly sacred to Hindus, is not just disrespectful but also an affront to the religious sentiments of devotees who uphold these traditions as central to their faith. The accused claimed that he had ordered plain biryani but that a piece of chicken had been mistakenly included in his meal. Had the individual truly intended to eat only vegetarian food, he would not have proceeded to consume a meal containing non-vegetarian items inside the sacred temple premises. Thus, this episode is not an innocuous mistake. It represents an act that directly violates the sacred spatial ethics and dietary norms central to Hindu temple worship, and when considered within the broader framework of intentional or habitual disregard for Hindu customs, it falls squarely within the definition of a religiously motivated hate crime. Disclaimer: It is important to clarify that the report does not specify the exact date when the incident happened. Therefore, for documentation purposes, we have recorded the date based on when the incident was reported in the media.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
