Tamil Nadu bans smartphones at 52 temples; devotees to pay Rs 5 to deposit phones

CHENNAI: Devotees visiting 52 prominent temples across Tamil Nadu will no longer be allowed to carry or use smartphones inside the temple premises, with the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department implementing the restriction from Tuesday.

The move is aimed at preserving the sanctity and peaceful atmosphere of temples and preventing devotees from taking selfies, photographs, videos and reels inside the premises.

Devotees carrying smartphones will have to deposit them at designated counters before entering the temples. A maintenance charge of Rs 5 will be collected for each phone, following which devotees will receive a token or computer-generated receipt.

The phone can be collected after darshan by producing the receipt. Basic keypad phones without cameras have been exempted and can be carried inside.

Photography and videography of deities inside sanctum sanctorums, rituals and VIP visits will also remain strictly prohibited.

The new system was introduced at the popular Devarajaswamy-Athi Varadar temple in Kancheepuram from 6am on Tuesday. Officials are recording the mobile number and model details of each deposited smartphone and issuing computer-generated receipts.

The move has received a mixed response from devotees. While some welcomed the restriction, saying it would help maintain the tranquillity of temple premises, others questioned the Rs 5 charge and the need to queue at deposit counters.

There are also concerns among temple staff over the safe custody of expensive smartphones. The department said the Rs 5 charge would not go to the government but would be used to meet the cost of counter staff, secure lockers and related infrastructure.

The decision follows a direction issued by the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court in December 2022 while hearing a petition concerning mobile phone use at Tiruchendur’s Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple. The court had directed authorities to take steps to restrict mobile phone use to protect the sanctity of temples.

Several major religious shrines in neighbouring Karnataka, including Kollur Mookambika, Dharmasthala and Kukke Subramanya, as well as Tirumala Tirupati, already restrict mobile phone use inside temple premises.