Incidents of damage to Hindu temple murthis have resurfaced in Madurai, leaving devotees shocked. On 26 May, miscreants vandalised more than ten murthis/idols in Thirumangalam, located in the Madurai district.
Taking serious note of the incident, Hindu Munnani, in a statement, urged the Tamil Nadu police to take swift action and arrest the actual culprits behind the vandalism at the Kudhiraicharrypuram Pazhaniyapuram Ezhuperu Swamy Temple. It stated: “We do not want any more excuses like ‘he is mentally unwell’ or ‘in a drunken state’.”
The temple, maintained by family clans, houses over 20 idols, including murthis of Ayyarsamy, Periya Karuppaswamy, Sannasi, Mayandi, Rakkachi Amman, Chinnasamy, Aandisamy, among others. On May 26, some anti-social elements broke open the temple doors and severely damaged these murtis. Heads, torsos, hands, and feet of several idols were broken completely. Notably, the right hands of the idols were targeted. According to locals, over ten murtis were damaged. The miscreants also stole a bronze bell. Devotees have filed a complaint with the Thirumangalam police, who have since seized CCTV footage from in and around the temple premises.
Taking to social media platform X, Hindu Munnani wrote:
“In Tamil Nadu, Swamy murtis continue to be vandalised, the police offer excuses, and the state government remains indifferent… Anti-social elements have broken Swamy idols in a temple located in the Thirumangalam municipality area of Madurai district on May 26. Locals have filed a complaint about this at the Thirumangalam police station. The ongoing incidents of breaking murtis and temple destruction in both urban and rural areas of Tamil Nadu resemble a never-ending series.
The organisation added: “The Tamil Nadu police not only follow a sluggish approach in identifying the real culprits, but even when offenders are caught, they brush it off by saying it was the act of mentally ill or underdeveloped individuals. Hindu Munnani strongly condemns this attitude of the police. The Tamil Nadu police must stop offering lame excuses and instead arrest the culprits who vandalise statues, taking strict action against them. We urge the Tamil Nadu government and police to pay due attention to the Thirumangalam temple murthis vandalism case, arrest the real culprits involved, and bring them to justice.”
தமிழகத்தில் தொடர்ந்து சேதப்படுத்தப்படும் சுவாமி சிலைகள், சாக்கு போக்கு சொல்லும் காவல்துறை, கண்டுகொள்ளாத மாநில அரசு..
மதுரை மாவட்டம் திருமங்கலம் நகராட்சி பகுதியில் உள்ள கோவிலில் நேற்று சமூக விரோதிகள் சுவாமி சிலைகளை உடைத்துச் சென்றுள்ளனர். இதுகுறித்து ஊர் பொதுமக்கள் திருமங்கல… pic.twitter.com/NXzIa3zDki
— Hindu Munnani (@hindumunnani_tn) May 26, 2025
This is not the first time. Hindu Munnani functionaries have raised concerns, stating:
“There have been numerous incidents, even in renowned temples like Avinashi near Coimbatore, Srivachur, Madurai Kali Amman, and others. The police usually claim it was committed by a mentally deranged individual or someone in an inebriated state, and then close the case. It raises a million-dollar question: how can someone in such a condition specifically target Hindu temples and idols? No other places of worship have been damaged. There is a clear pattern to this. The government, on its part, has demolished over 200 temples, citing reasons such as encroachment on government lands or water bodies. If that is the case, how many government offices have been built on land that originally belonged to temples?”
In another incident in Madurai, devotees condemned the act of Muslims distributing printed copies of the Quran to Hindu devotees at the South Temple Tower entrance of the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple. This has sparked heated public debate, with many questioning: are Muslims trying to foment communal clashes ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections? Would they accept it if Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita, Thiruvasagam, and others were distributed near their mosques? Christians are already seen engaging in similar practices — distributing religious material in crowded places, near temples, in schools, hospitals, and even going door-to-door — exploiting people’s poverty and poor health conditions to convert them. The government must put an end to such activities which are bound to create communal rifts.
தமிழகத்தில் மதக்கலவரத்தை தூண்ட இஸ்லாமிய அமைப்புகள் சதி செய்கிறதா???
மதுரை மீனாட்சியம்மன் தெற்கு கோபுர வாசலில் ஹிந்து பக்தர்களுக்கு குர் ஆன் வழங்கியுள்ளது இஸ்லாமிய அமைப்பு.
இதேபோல், மசூதி முன்பு திருவாசகம், பகவத்கீதை வழங்கினால் இஸ்லாமிய அமைப்புகள் அமைதியா இருக்குமா??? pic.twitter.com/Bvmvy6X060
— MR.Anil (@Saffron_Anil_) May 26, 2025
Earlier this year, in February, Thiruparankundram near Madurai witnessed protests led by Hindu Munnani following attempts by Muslims and other fundamentalist forces to rename it ‘Sikkandar Hill’. Peace was restored only after the Hindus, with court permission, held an agitation. On June 22, a major conference of Lord Murugan is scheduled to be held, expected to draw over five lakh devotees from across the state. Dignitaries such as Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, and others are likely to attend. However, such repeated skirmishes by Muslim and Christian groups are seen as attempts to disrupt these forthcoming events and stir communal tensions.
