With chappals on, newly wed Nayanthara-Shivan walk into controversy at Tirumala

Newly wedded celebrity couple Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan found themselves in controversy, walking with footwear in the sacred Mada streets of Tirumala on Friday.

A photoshoot of the movie star with her filmmaker husband right in front of the main temple also came under criticism from the devotees.

Nayanthara and Shivan got married at a resort in Mahabalipuram on Thursday and arrived in the temple town soon after to have the darshan of Lord Venkateshwara.

However, in a video that went viral on social media and played repeatedly on news channels, Nayanthara was seen wearing sandals while walking in front of the temple.

The Mada streets are the four pathways around the sanctum where all the temple's ritual processions, including the annual Brahmotsavams, are conducted. Wearing of footwear is strictly prohibited in these four lanes and notice boards installed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams also state so.

Several pilgrims raised their objections to the twin incidents. Some of the crew that accompanied the couple too were seen wearing shoes.

Devotees are also questioning the TTD officials about the photo shoot in front of the temple, “when a common man is not allowed to stand there even for a few minutes to pay obeisance to the deity.”

“The couple should have been aware of the temple's sanctity. There are certain rules to be followed,” a woman devotee said.

Nayanthara-Shivan desired to be wedded in Tirumala but “logistic reasons” compelled the event to take place in Mahabalipuram, attended by Indian movie industry icons like Rajnikanth. They reportedly visited Tirumala five times in the last one month or so.

TTD officials who probed the lapse mulled serving a notice to Nayanthara and Shivan. However, the couple issued an apology stating that they did not mean any disrespect.

The director said that they wanted to have some pictures taken at the temple to mark their special day but a crowd wanting to greet them and the ensuing chaos made them exit the place and re-enter after a while.

“In the melee, we did not notice the footwear,” said Shivan, while offering apologies to anyone offended by the mistake.

“Wearing chappals in the Mada streets is an act hurting religious sentiments. But since the couple has already apologised, we might not be pursuing the matter seriously,” a senior TTD official told DH.

Some social media outlets said that the photo shoot was part of a feature on the Nayanthara-Shivan wedding to be aired on a popular OTT platform.