Yet another incident of miscreants vandalising Hindu temple Murtis has come to light in Tamil Nadu. This time, the desecration took place at the Plague Mariamman Temple in the Chinnampalayam area of Coimbatore.
According to sources in Hindu Munnani, the temple is situated on a hillock near Avinashi Road in Senniyampalayam. On the morning of June 18, locals, to their dismay and shock, discovered broken Murtis within the temple compound.
They said, “The temple priest arrived to open the premises and was shocked to find that several Murtis — including those of Bhagwan Ganesha, Rahu, Ketu, and the Mooshik — had been deliberately broken.” Word quickly spread among the residents, leading to a large crowd gathering at the temple, resulting in visible tension in the area.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Thangaraman and Sulur Police Inspector Lenin visited the site and launched an inquiry. As part of the investigation, the police are reviewing CCTV footage from the vicinity to identify the perpetrators. Authorities have assured the public that those responsible will be apprehended and brought to justice. The incident has deeply disturbed the Hindus and raised concerns about the security of religious sites in the region.
Former Tamil Nadu BJP Chief K. Annamalai, taking to the social media platform X, condemned the vandalism. He stated that miscreants and anti-national elements had entered the well-known Plague Mariamman Temple at Chinniampalayam and desecrated the centuries-old Murtis. The local people have been worshipping these Murtis for generations. “The motive behind breaking the Murtis of a Hindu temple was clearly to foment communal tension in the locality. I urge the police to thoroughly investigate the case and arrest the culprits. The authorities must also identify those behind this heinous crime and take stern action against them,” he said.
புகழ்பெற்ற கோவை சின்னியம்பாளையம் பிளேக் மாரியம்மன் கோவிலில், நேற்று இரவு, சமூக விரோதிகள் புகுந்து, நூற்றாண்டு கால பழமையான சிலைகளை உடைத்திருப்பதை வன்மையாகக் கண்டிக்கிறேன். இந்தப் பகுதி மக்கள் காலங்காலமாய் வணங்கி வரும் அம்மன் ஆலயத்தின் சிலைகளை உடைத்து, சமூகப் பதற்றம்… pic.twitter.com/rmRu33EQpn
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) June 18, 2025
Earlier, miscreants damaged more than ten Murtis in Thirumangalam, Madurai district, on 26 May 2025. Taking serious note of the incident, Hindu Munnani issued a statement urging Tamil Nadu Police to take swift action and arrest those responsible for vandalising the Hindu temple Murtis at Udhiraicharrypuram Pazhaniyapuram Ezhuperu Swamy Temple.
The organisation stated: “We do not want any more excuses like ‘he is mentally unwell’ or ‘was in a drunken state’.” The temple, maintained by family clans, housed over 20 Murtis including those of Ayyarsamy, Periya Karuppasamy, Sannasi, Mayandi, Rakkachi Amman, Chinnasamy, Aandisamy and others. On May 26, anti-social elements broke open the temple doors and severely damaged the Murtis. The heads, torsos, hands, and feet of some Murtis were completely broken. The miscreants specifically targeted the right hands. According to locals, over ten Murtis were damaged, and a bronze bell was also stolen. Devotees lodged a complaint with Thirumangalam Police, who have since seized CCTV footage from in and around the temple.
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 Tamil Nadu has witnessed such acts. Hindu Munnani functionaries note that there have been numerous incidents, even in famous temples such as Avinashi near Coimbatore, Srivachur, and Madurai Kali Amman Temple. Police usually cite mentally disturbed individuals or those in an inebriated state and tend to close the cases. However, it remains a million-dollar question — how can such individuals specifically target Hindu temples and Murtis? No other places of worship are attacked. There appears to be a pattern. On its part, the government has demolished over 200 temples citing encroachments on public land and water bodies. If that is the case, how many government offices have been built on lands belonging to temples?”
