Mobile phones will be completely prohibited in all major temples across Tamil Nadu from September 1 as part of a fresh set of measures introduced by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department to preserve the sanctity of places of worship and curb unauthorized photography and videography, government officials said.
The department has also tightened guidelines governing visits by actors, actresses, political leaders and other prominent personalities, with temple administrations instructed to ensure that such visits do not inconvenience ordinary devotees or interfere with regular darshan. Officials have been specifically instructed to ensure that arrangements made for prominent visitors do not affect the sanctity of temples or restrict access for other worshippers.
The mobile-phone ban is intended to prevent visitors from photographing or filming Deities and sanctum sanctorums and from creating reels and other videos inside temple complexes. The HR&CE department said the restrictions were being implemented in accordance with existing court directions and instructions from the minister.
Temple administrations have been given 20 days to establish secure facilities where devotees can deposit their mobile phones before entering. Notices explaining the restriction must be prominently displayed at entrances and other important locations. Devotees will be required to hand over their phones at designated counters and collect them after completing darshan.
A uniform fee of Rs 5 per mobile phone may be collected, with devotees required to receive a receipt through the Integrated Temple Management System. Temples have also been instructed to display clear notices at entrances about the restriction and make regular announcements through public-address systems, ensuring devotees are informed before entering the premises.
Tamil Nadu: Mobile phones banned in all major temples from September 1; HR&CE Department cites sanctity, curbs on reels and unauthorized photography; secure deposit counters with Rs 5 fee to be set up.
When devotion meets distraction, even a phone becomes a barrier to the divine.
