CHENNAI : In July, a single judge of the Madras High Court ordered that Thalaivetti Muniyappan temple in Salem district in Tamil Nadu be removed from the control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department and given to the state’s archaeological department.
An archaeological survey of the shrine ordered by the court in 2017 had concluded that an idol in the temple considered to be that of the Hindu god Thalaivetti Muniappan was actually a figure of the Buddha.
Maintaining that “the mistaken identity cannot be allowed to continue”, the court ordered that the “original status” of the idol be restored.
It said that permitting the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department to treat the idol as a Hindu god would go against the tenets of Buddhism.
The court also asked the archaeological department to put up a board inside the property saying that the statue is that of the Buddha. While the temple would still be open to everyone, the court asked that “no poojas or other ceremonies” be allowed to be performed at the figure of the Buddha.