How Christian missionaries are grabbing Hindu temple lands in Tamil Nadu using unscrupulous means

Instances of minorities grabbing temple lands to build their places of worship and encroachment on public and temple lands are increasing at an alarming rate. Thanks to the Tamil Nadu government turning a blind eye to such offences, they are going on unchecked and proliferated at a higher magnitude.

Tamil Nadu is a land of religion and spirituality which boasts a number of temples of historical importance. Four Saiva saints, 62 Nayanmars and 12 Alwazhars ( vaishnavite saints) nurtured this spirit by their hymns in Tamil. Chera, Chola, Pandiya, Nayaka, Maratha Kings and Lakhs of philanthropists donated wealth and properties with specific endowments besides building temples and water bodies. With the Dravidian parties ascending to power in Tamil Nadu and their continuous attack on them in the name of superstition and rationalism resulted in downfall of morals and religious and spiritual faith of the people The controlled media helped them to spread fake narratives and unbounded lies about gods and Hindu religion.

Today Tamil Nadu is reaping what it should not. HR and CE was established with a sole aim of safeguarding the temple and its properties. In reality the happenings are entirely in the opposite direction. Temple properties were sold or allowed to be encroached by all and sundry particularly politicians and their vassals. Instances of Its income were being diverted or embezzled coming to fore. Earlier muslim invaders looted our temples. Now their descendants and Christians are now setting eyes on the temple lands which bother many. An US author Stephan Knapp in his book “crime against India and need to protect ancient Vedic traditions “ traced how our temples over thousand years were allowed to become ruined by the present day rulers. He also explains how a secular Bharat showers concessions to minorities neglecting majority Hindus.

Christians have bought lands in Chennai Santhome, Nandanam, Saidapet, Tambaram, Perambur, MRC Nagar, Royapuram. There are churches and prayer halls in most 30 important places. It is alleged, arable lands belonging to a Dalit family was grabbed a Christian gang and have been forced to work as coolies to eke out for living. During DMK and AIADMK rule, land sharks like VGP group were allowed to convert farm lands into housing sites. In Tamil Nadu nearly 20 percent of lands are in possession of Muslims and Christians.

Ramanan P Ranganathan tweeted “ Baffling question- Is Vedaranyam Vedaranyeswarar temple managed by Wakf Board going by 2 Muslim schools in temple land? Now we come to know that 6,000 sq.ft. land has been usurped by one Sahul Hameed, who constructed the building. Gets fast track NoC for construction, EB connection!. “ it is alleged that his file seeking NoC , EB connection and others is moving at a rocket speed. He plans to build a Madarsa also in the temple land. EO of the temple clarified that a case was filed against C Sahul Hameed who was constructing a house in the temple land illegally. After losing his appeal in HC, his petition is pending now with the HR and CE tribunal. No NoC has been given to him”.

In the Pudukkottai district water body belonging to the famous 18th Century Siva temple is being encroached by Pentecost Christians to build a church. With the help of thugs they are filling the tank with sand braving the stiff opposition from the local Hindus. The encroachers have threatened the temple poojari (priest) not to do poojas.

Indu Makkal Katchi district president M Solaikannani has preferred complaint with Madurai District SP against an illegal construction of prayer hall with Cross symbol near the rest house for pilgrims of Sathuragiri hill temple. He appeared personally and explained without following the guidelines while building places of worship it was constructed. “It would hurt the lakhs of devotees who visit the temple. We request you to remove the illegal construction. Police have promised to take action with advice from higher officials” he said.

Four grounds of prime land in the city belonging to Gangadeeswarar temple at Purasawalkam have been leased out free on rent to the Salvation Army. It engaged in proselytization. TR Ramesh, president Temple Worshippers Society tweeted that a saiva temple land, right next to the temple, was given to Salvation Army church which “enjoys” it rent free… Thanks to shameless HRCE officials who control this Sri Gangadhareshwara temple in Chennai. This is how TN govt openly helps Xtians at the cost of Hindus”.

In an interview to a Delhi based daily, Ramesh said “ land and building worth Rs.2.5 lakh per year but the HRCE has not collected anything till date from them. This land and building belong to the Temple Trust and as per the by-laws governing the temple properties, the land of building can never be rented out or leased or sold to a non-Hindu organisation. The daily quoted BJP leader H Raja as saying “in the sample survey, we uniformly found that 5 prevent of temples exist no more. Among the 38,646 temples, we estimate that at least 1,800 temples could have been demolished to give way to buildings and shopping complexes. Then, at least 20 percent of the temples have been abandoned or are under-used”.

Ramanan P Ranganathan tweeted “ Chennai temple lands Evangelists. Heard news of AV Tomas unlawfully encroaching 36 grounds of Kanchipuram Ekambareswarar in P.H. Road, Chennai”. In another tweet he warns “ We Hindus, dormant, keep waiting, thinking others will take action. Result: Churches will replace temples in a few years/ Read Sree Iyer’s story of Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple’s 49 acres land of Rs.600 crs is now St. Mary’s Church’s .

About 50 Nomads submitted a memorandum to Kanchipuram collector on 9th August accusing Christian pastor Thangaraj of grabbing their lands and seeking action against him. Nomads have been residing in the free land given by the government for the past 17 years. They said a church pastor forcibly took their land and threatened them with rowdies.

Christian missionaries bought land belonging to Ayyanar temple land at Ariyamangalam in Nagapattinam district on Mayiladuthurai-Thirukadaiyur road. Near to that temple there is a Sivan temple where poojas are being performed. There were records for the existence of the temple. From the dilapidated temple ruins, pillars, stone inscriptions, idols, sun, Yoga Narasimhar ( aged 11th or 12th century) were unearthed and were kept in the Ayyanar temple. Those who bought the land now say no temple in the land and are trying to remove Siva lingam. Now locals have given a call to redeem the 900 years old temple.

A 1000-year-old Sivaloganathar and Swarnamukhi temple at Thennangudi village in Mayiladuthurai district, said to belong to the Pachaiyappa trust and currently under HR and CE, is being grabbed. The temple in 9.5 acres was in dilapidated condition. The encroachers took away the entire land leaving the sanctum sanctorum in 2,000 sq.feet untouched. With the intervention of Hindu regular poojas are being performed. Locals allege priests and devotees were intimidated by local thugs and snatched the Tin shed, built by a donor from Chennai, to shelter their cattle. Saints Agasthiyar and Gnanasabmar sang hymns on this deity.

Near Perundurai at Pattakkaran Colony miscreants had removed the idol and thrown it in a Godown compound. They also desecrated Vinayagar idol and used the Vel to dig sand. Another tweeter condemned “ building toilets for temples is part of HRCE policy 2018-19 where HRCE has spent 20.5 crores from temple funds to build toilets in 140 temples as per policy. In 2017-18 construction of toilets was started in 3 temples like Tiruchendru at a cost of 2.64 crores which is atrocious”.

To benefit the minority encroachers, Kailasanathar temple administration has built lavatories for them behind the sanctum sanctorum. Foul smell emanates from the half-finished septic tank causing inconvenience to the devotees. This was built near the well and the water drawn from is used to do abhishekam of deities. Locals alleged that minorities who have already encroached a vast tract of land and to facilitate taking over remaining two acres land, the septic tank was built. This is against Agama traditions. After protests from devotees it was razed down on 11th August.

Thanks to the intervention of court in OS97/2020, attempts to build memorial for Kavimani Desiya Vinayagam Pillai after razing down the Bhagavathi Amman temple and feeling off the holy tree at Thovalai in Kanyakumari district, has been averted. In 2018, Madras High Court directed the HR and CE to find out the whereabouts of 50,000 acres of temple lands in Tamil Nadu. It has yet to file any report in this regard.

Jain Stone beds ( Samanar Padugai in Tamil) believed to be 1,500 years old at Theganurpatti village near Ginghees in Villupuram district has been destroyed with explosives by miscreants unobvious of its historical importance. The rocks and the caves ,where the Jain monks stayed, have several inscriptions, drawings and images of 24 tirthankaras. Locals blame it on the handiwork of Anti-Tamil, Dravida –Marxists church missionaries and want the Archaeological Survey India to protect it.

In Perambalur town, Vinayagar temple construction was opposed by the Rower school and church authorities. For the benefit of over 200 families the temple was planned but Christian school authorities with their connection at a higher level halted it despite protests from Hindus.

In front of Tirunelveli Manimoortheswara Uchishta Ganapathy temple, Christians built a cemetery in violation of norms in the temple land acquired by them using dubious means.Hindu outfits started demanding not to renew the 96 acres of Siva Temple land leased to Loyola college for 99 years which expires in 2021.

Dravidian rule in TN helped Muslims get lands and properties in Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam regions. They have got properties and lands on lease with some of them acquiring them in front of temples. The agraharams in erstwhile Thanjavur district have now become Muslim clusters.Vinayagar and Murugan stuffed in gunny bags were found in Tirunelveli district Melapalayam near Karuppudurai sivan temple.

Hindu Munnani demanded a probe to find out the motive behind this, as there were incidents of vandalisation of Hindu temples in Coimbatore.TR Rames in another tweet said “ money transferred from Sri Dhandayuthapani swamy temple, Palani to the Tamil nadu govt’s commissioner’s “Common Good Fund” from 2011 to 2018 is Rs.23.45 crores. Hindus are simply unaware of such looting.

“It is high time the GOI annuls all the leases granted for 99 years to the Xitian organisation by the British which have expired long back and taken back all the lands. Next to the GOI, Xitian organisation holds the maximum urban lands in india. Shameful” a tweeter has urged.

In a video, a speaker claimed” I was asked to revise the syllabus as a mentor for 1 standard to 12th standard social science. There are plenty of Jesuit ideologies that have been injected. Nobody knows.”

In a facebook post, Venkat bala said there are Christian sleeper cells in the education department. Now this is what Maridhas wants to highlight, our system of administration in government is deeply influenced by the corrupt sleeper cells of missionaries, this is also what Rajnikant says.