Pattina Pravesam Row: All About The Centuries-Old Ritual, The Ban On It & 'Threat To Life' Cited By Madurai Mutt Head

Pattina Pravesam Row: Though Minister PK Sekar Babu hinted that Tamil Nadu govt is against the ritual, a statement from Chief Minister MK Stalin is awaited.

Chennai: A ban on centuries old Pattina Pravesam practice by a district administration in Tamil Nadu has put the state government and adheenams (temples) across the state at loggerheads. While the Tamil Nadu government is yet to give a clear picture on the ban, the pontiff of Madurai Adheenam has said he would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he received threats to his life for commenting against the ban. ‘Pattina Pravesam’ is an age-old ritual of carrying the mutt heads of adheenams into the city in a palanquin.

The current issue pertains to the district administration ordering a ban on the ‘Pattina Pravesam’ ritual at the Dharmapuram mutt scheduled for May 22. 

On Wednesday, Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister PK Sekar Babu said Chief Minister MK Stalin would take the final decision on Pattina Pravesam ban. However, even before the state government revealed its stand, Madurai Adheenam pontiff Sri Harihara Sri Gnanasambanda Desika Swamigal on Thursday alleged that he was facing life threats for commenting against the ban.

Sri Gnanasambanda Desika Swamigal, the chief of one of the oldest Shaivite adheenams, said in Madurai that he was being threatened as he was posing many questions to the government, adding that he would meet PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to convey about the "threat to life". He also urged CM Stalin to not only permit the ritual but also chair the event.

The controversy started after Mayiladuthurai Revenue Divisional Officer J Balaji issued an order on April 27 banning the Pattina Pravesam scheduled to be held in Dharmapuram on May 22. The order said the ban was imposed on the ritual since it was "violative of human rights" and against Article 23 (Prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour) of the IPC.  

However, this is not the time that Pattina Pravesam faced opposition in the state. The Dravidar Kazhagam and other organisations had opposed the ritual in 2019 also. Also, the ban order comes after Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi recently visited Dharmapuram Adheenam. 

Pattina Pravesam: What Is This Centuries Old Ritual? 

Pattina Pravesam, which roughly translates to 'coming into the city', is a practice where a deity or a pontiff is carried on a palanquin by devotees into the city. In Dharmapuram Mutt, the pontiff is to be carried on a silver palanquin. 

Currently, Srilasri Masilamani Gnanasambanda Paramacharya Swamigal is the pontiff of Dharmapuram Adheenam and he was already facilitated with Pattina Pravesam when he took over as the pontiff after the demise of Srilasri Shanmuga Desiga Gnanasambanda Paramacharya Swamigal in 2019. 

The district administration had given permission for the event in 2019, but has now imposed a ban. All the adheenams in Tamil Nadu are now exrpessing opposition to the district administration's decision, and the issue has now taken a political colour. 

Political Row

The issue has become an ideological war between the government and the opposition parties, including AIADMK, BJP and PMK, who are opposing the ban on the traditional practice.

Taking to Twitter, TN BJP chief Annamalai said, “Ban on Dharmapuram Adheenam’s centuries old ‘Pattina Pravesham’ is an affront to TN’s civilisational culture. I’ll be personally there to carry the Adhinam on Palanquin on my shoulders.”

He added: “We will request the Adhinam to allow us to conduct the event by overturning this illegal order.” 

Opposition leader Edappadi Palaniswami said the Constitution permitted the ritual and it was followed even during British rule.

The principal opposition AIADMK took the issue to the state assembly for discussion by moving a calling attention motion. 

Stand Of TN Govt

Clarifying the stand of the government, Tamil Nadu Minister Sekar Babu said in the Assembly that some people are politicising the issue to protect themselves from their mistakes, but the CM has asked his ministers to resolve the issue. 

He also said he spoke to the pontiff, but the issue has now moved to court, and the state would accept its verdict.

The minister also said that the state would follow only rituals that consider human beings as humans, hinting that Tamil Nadu government is against the ritual.