Srirangam Temple Moolavar Photoshoot without Vastrams

The HR & CE has ordered taking photographs of the Moolavar deity at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam without any vastram. The order requires the archakas to remove all the vastrams and kavachams of Moolavar and Utsavar in order to facilitate the photoshoot. 

In the order, a copy of which is available with this writer, a warning has been issued to those (read archakas!!) trying to prevent the photo shoot “Those trying to prevent the photo shoot and not adhering to this direction will be taken to task and severe action taken against them” says the order of the JC.

The JC states that this decision to take photographs of the Moolavar without any vastram is as per the court order.

It may be recalled that activists have been pursuing the case in the High Court of the idol of Namperumal being replaced during the previous consecration as well as changes having been made to the Moolavar Vigraham a decade ago.

Those in the know at the temple expect the photographer(s) to do the photo shoot at the Moolavar Sannidhi without any vastrams on the deity sometime in the near future.

As has been the way in the recent past, there are not too many voices within the Kainkaryaparas at the Srirangam temple opposing the moves of the HR & CE though one person that this writer spoke to earlier today (Sunday Aug 18) is apprehensive about this photo shoot becoming a reality and said that there would not be ‘Ekantham’ any more if all the vastrams are removed of the moolavar and utsavar and a photo shoot is done.

Over the last decade, this writer has written many stories on the trend of photo and video shoots at temple utsavams and expects photography at all zones within temples to become a reality in the future.

This section will track the developments.