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Blanket Mobile Phone Ban in Temples May Inconvenience Devotees: Vanathi Srinivasan
SimpliCity News Team · 03 Sept 2026
Coimbatore:
The HR&CE Department has prohibited devotees from carrying mobile phones into 52 major Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu from September 1. Phones can be deposited in designated security lockers for a fee of ₹5.
Commenting on the decision, BJP leader and former Coimbatore MLA Vanathi Srinivasan has urged the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department to reconsider the complete ban on carrying mobile phones into major temples, calling for practical restrictions that preserve the sanctity of places of worship while avoiding inconvenience to devotees.
While objections to preventing devotees from using mobile phones to make reels, particularly by recording themselves to cinema songs inside temple premises can be restricted. However, she said a blanket ban on carrying phones could create difficulties for families, groups and devotees visiting temples together.
She pointed out that many temples have large premises where family members, relatives and friends may move to different areas after darshan. A mobile phone can be useful for staying connected, particularly when elderly people are part of a group.
She also noted that devotees often photograph temple architecture and sculptures as personal memories. Such images, when shared on social media, can help introduce the artistic and spiritual significance of temples to a wider audience.
Instead of prohibiting mobile phones throughout the premises, Vanathi Srinivasan suggested restricting their use inside the sanctum sanctorum or prohibiting photography specifically in such sensitive areas. She said a regulated approach would help maintain the sanctity of temples without imposing unnecessary mental stress and inconvenience on devotees.
She urged the HR&CE Department to take these practical concerns into consideration while implementing regulations on mobile phone use in temples.
Tamil Nadu TemplesMobile Phone BanHRCE DepartmentHindu TemplesTemple RegulationsDevoteesTamil Nadu News
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