Mobile ban makes Meenakshi temple more hospitable
Padmini.Sivarajah@timesgroup.com
Madurai:11.07.2018
The ban on use of mobile phones at the Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple has turned out to be a blessing in disguise as pilgrims are now moving faster without hindering the movement of others. The temple draws thousands of devotees, including tourists, every day.
After the fire ravaged the Vasantharayar Mandapam within the temple in February this year, the Madras high court had suggested the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department to takes steps to control the use of mobile phones within the temple premises as a security measure.
Special locker facility has been set up at the five-tower entrance for safekeeping of cellphones which the devotees bring along with them to the temple. The facility can store 8,000 cellphones at a time, with 40 employees deputed to take care of them.
Joint Commissioner of the temple N Natarjan said that managing the crowds within the temple has become easy after the mobile phones were banned. “They move faster now. Earlier, our employees faced problems with some pilgrims who were trying to take videos of deeparathana. All that has come to an end,” he said. Natarajan says that this is a good model to be implemented in other temples also.
An employee at the cellphone keeping centre said that the only problem was the entire process of collecting the details of the phone as well as the owner, which is done manually by noting down on a paper and giving a carbon copy of it to the customer. “Processing will be faster if it is computerised,” he said.
A photographer has been appointed by the temple to give anyone have their visit to the temple photographed. Earlier, when mobile phones were allowed, almost everyone used to click pictures including selfies at the temple. Now only about 100 pose for a snap by the temple photographer.
“People have become so obsessed with their phones. Some come out in half-an-hour, anxious over the safety of their phone. Anyone coming to this temple knows that going around in less than an hour is not possible,” said a temple employee.
NO PHONE ZONE: The temple draws thousands of devotees, including tourists, every day
Padmini.Sivarajah@timesgroup.com
Madurai:11.07.2018
The ban on use of mobile phones at the Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple has turned out to be a blessing in disguise as pilgrims are now moving faster without hindering the movement of others. The temple draws thousands of devotees, including tourists, every day.
After the fire ravaged the Vasantharayar Mandapam within the temple in February this year, the Madras high court had suggested the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department to takes steps to control the use of mobile phones within the temple premises as a security measure.
Special locker facility has been set up at the five-tower entrance for safekeeping of cellphones which the devotees bring along with them to the temple. The facility can store 8,000 cellphones at a time, with 40 employees deputed to take care of them.
Joint Commissioner of the temple N Natarjan said that managing the crowds within the temple has become easy after the mobile phones were banned. “They move faster now. Earlier, our employees faced problems with some pilgrims who were trying to take videos of deeparathana. All that has come to an end,” he said. Natarajan says that this is a good model to be implemented in other temples also.
An employee at the cellphone keeping centre said that the only problem was the entire process of collecting the details of the phone as well as the owner, which is done manually by noting down on a paper and giving a carbon copy of it to the customer. “Processing will be faster if it is computerised,” he said.
A photographer has been appointed by the temple to give anyone have their visit to the temple photographed. Earlier, when mobile phones were allowed, almost everyone used to click pictures including selfies at the temple. Now only about 100 pose for a snap by the temple photographer.
“People have become so obsessed with their phones. Some come out in half-an-hour, anxious over the safety of their phone. Anyone coming to this temple knows that going around in less than an hour is not possible,” said a temple employee.
NO PHONE ZONE: The temple draws thousands of devotees, including tourists, every day
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