Madras High Court sets entry conditions for Agamic temples

The Madras High Court has ruled that non-Hindus may enter Agamic temples in Tamil Nadu only if they affirm reverence for the presiding deity and agree to follow the temple’s customs. The October 23 judgment applies to Agamic temples, not all religious institutions, and sets conditions for entry that include an undertaking in the format prescribed by each temple. A division bench of Justices G.R. Swaminathan and P. Murugan issued the ruling in Thangam Venkatesh v. State of Tamil Nadu, a petition seeking enforcement of temple-entry laws and action over alleged violations. The court said non-Hindus who do not provide the undertaking cannot proceed beyond a temple’s flagpole area. It also said entry into temple premises cannot be permitted to non-Hindus who wear religious markers but do not affirm reverence for the deity. The bench directed the state to install boards at temples stating that non-Hindus may not proceed beyond the flagpole, and ordered that undertakings be recorded in a register. The ruling says the required declaration is not a demand to convert to Hinduism, but to affirm reverence for the deity and agree to observe the institution’s practices. The judges cited...