Mobile phones to be banned in Tamil Nadu’s major temples from September 1: Minister Ramesh
Tamil Nadu Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) S. Ramesh on Sunday (August 9, 2026) said the use of mobile phones inside the
Tamil Nadu Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) S. Ramesh on Sunday (August 9, 2026) said the use of mobile phones inside the premises of major temples across the State is to be prohibited from September 1. Speaking to journalists at Srirangam in Tiruchi, he said dedicated counters for depositing mobile phones would be established in major temples by September 1 to implement the ban, the Minister said.
This move comes in the wake of video clips of the sanctum sanctorum of many temples being filmed with mobile phones and widely circulated on social media, he said. Further, he said the department was keen on retrieving temple properties and ensuring compliance with the purposes for which they have been allocated. Citing a recent instance, Mr. Ramesh said a First Information Report had been registered by the police against 19 persons based on a complaint by the HR&CE Department regarding the illegal registration of properties belonging to a trust established for the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple.
Some of the accused had been arrested in connection with the case, he said, adding that no action was taken during the previous DMK regime. The Minister also said the ‘tirupani’ (renovation work) being taken up in various temples across the State was being expedited. During the ongoing Budget
session, announcements would be made regarding the number of consecration ceremonies (‘kumbhabhishekam’) to be performed in temples; new ‘tirupani‘ to be taken up; temples in fully/partially dilapidated state in Tamil Nadu and their renovation; and the number of temple cars and temple tanks to be renovated, Mr. Ramesh added.
The BriefWire