Madras HC on Temple Visit: Vijay Asked to Affirm Faith, Not Convert to Hinduism.

CM Vijay Was Asked to Affirm Faith in Deity, Not Convert to Hinduism: Madras High Court.

 B Upendran | HENB | Chennai | Oct 28, 2026:: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay was asked only to affirm his faith in the presiding deity, not to convert to Hinduism, before entering the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, the Madras High Court has clarified.

The High Court ruled that non-Hindus seeking entry into Agamic temples in Tamil Nadu must submit a written undertaking affirming their faith in the presiding deity and agreeing to abide by the customs and practices of Hinduism and the temple concerned.

“If any non-Hindu claims to visit a particular deity in the temple, then the respondents shall obtain an undertaking from the said non-Hindu that he has faith in the deity and would follow the customs and practices of the Hindu religion and also abide by the temple customs. On submission of such an undertaking, the said non-Hindu may be allowed to visit the temple,” the court observed.

In September, Vijay signed an undertaking affirming his faith before proceeding beyond the kodimaram, or temple flagstaff, at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple to offer prayers. A 2024 Madras High Court order passed by Justice S. Srimathy requires non-Hindu devotees seeking access beyond this point to declare their faith in the presiding deity and agree to follow Hindu religious and temple customs. The undertaking is recorded in a register maintained for this purpose.

After submitting the declaration, Vijay was permitted to enter the shrine precincts of Meenakshi Amman and Sundareswarar, where he offered prayers. He had followed a similar procedure at the Tiruchendur Murugan Temple in April, signing a written declaration before offering prayers there.

Referring to the Chief Minister’s temple visits, the bench emphasised that non-Hindus who fail to provide the prescribed undertaking cannot be permitted to enter the specified areas of an Agamic temple. It also clarified that the format of the undertaking would be determined by the temple concerned.

PIL Seeks Strict Enforcement of Temple-Entry Rules

The court made these observations while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Thangam Venkatesh, a resident of Madurai. The petitioner sought directions to prevent non-Hindus from entering temple mandapams and proceeding beyond the kodimaram without complying with the applicable requirements. The petition also called for the strict enforcement of existing temple-entry regulations.

The petitioner alleged that some non-Hindus had entered temples displaying religious symbols associated with other faiths without fulfilling the prescribed conditions. The plea referred to an allegation raised by the Tamil Nadu BJP that a non-Hindu wearing a skullcap had entered the Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai, prompting objections from devotees.

The court also referred to the entry of Madurai Central MLA Badrudeen Mustafa into the Meenakshi Amman Temple premises and his climbing of the temple towers during the Kumbabishekam ceremony.

Taking exception to what it described as “Chamchagiri” and “optics” surrounding temple entry, the High Court observed that established religious customs and temple traditions could not be disregarded for political considerations or public-relations purposes.

“That is why, we deem it necessary to render an authoritative pronouncement,” the bench stated.

Ruling Limited to Agamic Temples

The High Court clarified that its ruling was confined to Agamic temples, which follow established principles of worship, rituals and religious practices prescribed by the Agama texts. The court indicated that the ruling might not apply to places of worship such as the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, where devotees from different religious backgrounds are welcomed.

The judgment thus distinguishes between conversion to Hinduism and the declaration of faith required under the specified temple-entry rules. The undertaking, as described by the court, does not require a non-Hindu visitor to formally convert to Hinduism; rather, it requires the visitor to affirm faith in the presiding deity and agree to respect the religious and customary practices of the temple.

The ruling is expected to influence the enforcement of entry requirements at Agamic temples across Tamil Nadu, particularly in cases involving visitors who do not identify as Hindus but wish to offer prayers at specific Hindu shrines.
…
_Agency Inputs.