Madurai temple demands Actress Namitha proof of being Hindu for entry
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Madurai/Tamil Nadu: Actress Namitha allegedly asked to produce proof of being a Hinudu to visit the renowned Sri Meenakshi Sundareshwar temple in Tamil Nadu's Madurai. A BJP state executive, Namitha expressed her disappointment over the alleged rude behaviour of the temple authorities, PTI reported.
The actor, who is a BJP state executive member, alleged that a temple official prevented her from having darshan and demanded proof of being a Hindu.
"They asked for a certificate to prove that I am a Hindu and also my caste certificate. I never underwent such an ordeal in any temple that I visited in the country," she told reporters later.
Namitha said it was a known fact that she was born a Hindu, that her marriage was solemnised in Tirupati, and that her son was named after Lord Krishna.
"This being the case, they spoke rudely and arrogantly and demanded a certificate to prove my caste and my faith," she said.
A senior official at the temple denied the allegations and said they stopped Namitha and her husband, who were wearing masks, to enquire if they were Hindus and explained the tradition at the temple.
"After the clarification from them, she was anointed with kumkum on her forehead and taken inside the temple for a darshan of Goddess Meenakshi," he said.
When asked about this, the actress replied that she was allowed to do darshan only after clarifying her faith and applying kumkum to her forehead.
She said her visit to Madurai was spiritual, and she had come to celebrate Krishna Janmashtami at ISKCON.
"There's a way of asking. I was made to wait for 20 minutes in a corner. We had informed the police about our visit on Sunday," she said.
The actress said she wore a mask as she did not want to disturb devotees who might recognise her.
Earlier in the day, she put out a video message to Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P K Sekar Babu on her predicament and requested him to take action on the "rude" temple official.