Hindu Tamizhar Katchi founder Rama Ravikumar has approached the Thanjavur district administration and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department seeking the removal of a statue of E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker from the land of the ancient Brahma Sira Kandeeswarar Temple at Kandiyur near Thiruvaiyaru, after an RTI reply revealed that it had been installed without the Department’s approval.
Ravikumar, one of the petitioners in the Thiruparankundram Deepam issue, contended that the presence of the statue and the anti-God inscription beneath it on temple land was a direct affront to the sanctity of the Hindu temple and its premises. He has urged the authorities to remove or relocate the statue, failing which he said the matter could be taken to court.
The Brahma Sira Kandeeswarar Temple, located at Kandiyur near Thiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur district, is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Bhagwan Shiva. According to legend, it is the first of the eight Ashta Veeratanam temples and is also one of the Paadal Petra Sthalams praised in the seventh-century Thevaram hymns.
Talking to Organiser, Ravikumar said, “The temple is a thousands-year-old ancient one. After coming to know that a statue of E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker had been installed, I filed a petition under the RTI Act. In a reply to the letter received on May 14 from the petitioner, the Executive Officer/Assistant Information Officer informed that the temple is a thousand-year-old ancient one. Kumbabishekam was performed on September 4, 2025. No permission or approval was given by the HR&CE Department to install the statue of E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker on the temple land. The EO and Assistant Information Officer have stated this.”
The RTI reply states, “The Endowments Officer informs that the following encroachments need to be removed: MB No. 19/2022/E2, dated 2nd July 2025, encroacher Cho. Raja; MB No. 23/2022/E2, dated 5th August 2025, encroacher Mohammed Ismail; MB No. 26/2022/E2, dated 5th August 2025, encroacher Dharmaraj; MB No. 27/2022/E2, dated 3rd September 2025, encroacher Jagadeesan; 28/2022/E2, dated 3rd September 2025, encroacher Mary Pappristal; 43/2022/E2, dated 16th July 2025, encroachers Dhinesh Kumar and O.R.H. Farooq; and No. 45/2022/E2, dated 16th July 2025, encroachers C. Sekar and O.R. Mohammed Farooq. The fence with steel wire mesh around the temple compound was laid using temple funds (Rs 1,34,915).”
The reply was given by the official responsible for replying under the RTI Act in the HR&CE Department. Ravikumar said the statue was installed in 1990 near the compound wall of the temple.
He said the RTI reply was shocking as it revealed that the statue had been installed without permission from the HR&CE Department. From the official reply, he said, it has been confirmed that the statue was installed illegally and needs to be removed from the place.
“Secondly, thousands of devotees visit the temple. The statue and the words underneath are offensive to Hindus and devotees. It reads: ‘There is no God, there is no God, there is no God at all. He who created God is a fool. He who propagates God is a scoundrel. He who worships God is a barbarian,’” Ravikumar said.
During the rule of Dravidian governments, statues were installed in Srirangam and Kandiyur. The proximity of such statues to major Hindu pilgrimage sites and temples has led to tensions, with devotees demanding their relocation. Besides the statue in Kandiyur, there are flagpoles of political parties, which are another eyesore for devotees.
Ravikumar has urged the temple management, the HR&CE Department and the district administration to remove or relocate the statue. “If they fail to do so, we may be forced to seek the intervention of the courts,” he said.
He said, “The statue of E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker, a staunch agnostic and critic of Hindu Gods, has no place near temples or on their properties. Incidentally, there are no such statues near the places of worship of minorities — churches and mosques. Why do they target Hindu temples? Their aversion appears to be aimed only at Hindus, their traditions, spiritual beliefs and customs. The statue is not only offensive to Hindus but also affects the sanctity and sacredness of temples.”
In a related development, a team of revenue officials led by Thiruvaiyaru Tahsildar Prem Kumar, Revenue Inspector Sudhakar, VAO Vimala, a surveyor and other officials inspected the site on July 8. A report is likely to be submitted to the District Collector following the site inspection.
