New Delhi: After massive outrage by the opposition parties, the DMK government in Tamil Nadu has revoked the ban on the ‘Pattina Pravesam’ ritual. According to this age-old Hindu ritual, the disciples carry the seer of Saivite monastic institution, Dharmapuram Adheenam, on their shoulders in a palanquin. Pattina Pravesam ritual will take place on May 22 and the order for the same was issued by the Mayiladuthurai district Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) on Sunday.
Earlier, the Revenue Divisional Officer of Mayiladuthurai, J Balaji, had issued the ban order for the ritual scheduled for May 22, citing that the practice was a “violation of human rights”.
However, the ban on the ritual led to a major controversy in the southern state, with opposition parties AIADMK and BJP voicing their dissent to the government order.
On Wednesday, the BJP had warned the Tamil Nadu government to take back its order of banning the Hindu ritual or else they said they would violate it by continuing with the traditional practice.
“If government opposes Dharmapuram Adheenam’s ‘Pattina Pravesam’, we will break the government rule and will carry the ‘Adheenam’ in palanquin ourselves. Government should take back their order”, news agency ANI quoted the Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai as saying earlier this week.
It is to be noted that on Saturday, the Dharmapuram Adheenam had said that the seer would be holding a meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) minister PK Sekar Babu to discuss the issue.