Marriage at Chidambaram Nataraja temple: priest suspended

A priest of the famous Lord Nataraja temple at Chidambaram in this district has been suspended for arranging the recent marriage of a Sivakasi-based businessman at the shrine's 1,000-pillar hall in violation of "Agama sastras". Trustees of the temple, including Ayyappan Deekshathar, told reporters that the priest had violated the "Agama sastras" (rules governing the poojas and other temple rituals) and the industrialist family had converted the entire hall into a luxurious wedding hall with flower decorations, festoons and illuminations.

The grand decorations had converted the holy atmosphere of the temple into a private wedding hall and this had hurt the sentiments of devotees, they said. Though weddings were performed in the Pandiyanayakar Sannathi in the temple, the 1000-pillar hall was used only for the special festival occasions such as celestial marriage of the deities and "Arudhra darshan".

As per Agama rules, the place where celestial wedding is held should not be used for the marraige of humans, a priest of the temple said..

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