Tamil Nadu Enforces Mobile Phone Ban Across Major Temples

The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department's ban on carrying mobile phones inside major temples across the state came into effect on Tuesday.

The prohibition follows earlier directives from the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, issued on December 2, 2022, after a public interest litigation filed by Seetharaman regarding the Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple in Tiruchendur. HR&CE Minister Ramesh had previously announced in the Assembly that the ban would be enforced in major temples.

At the Devarajaswamy-Athi Varadar Temple in Kanchipuram, the system became operational at 6 AM on Tuesday. Temple authorities established dedicated counters at the entrance, deploying two computer operators and two assistants to manage phone collections. Staff register the devotee's photograph, phone model, and number before issuing an acknowledgement slip. A uniform token fee of ₹5 per phone is charged for storage.

Multilingual notice boards outlining the ban have been installed across parking zones and prominent spots around temple premises. The department also directed temple administrations to make regular announcements over public address systems.

According to the department's circular, the restrictions were enforced after authorities observed devotees, particularly youngsters, capturing photographs, recording videos, taking selfies, and filming social media reels inside temple premises. The department noted that such activities disrupted the peaceful and spiritual atmosphere and caused inconvenience to worshippers.