Bharatanatyam dancer stopped from entering temple in TN's Srirangam

Bharatanatyam dancer Zakir Hussain has alleged that he was stopped from entering the famous Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple in Srirangam near Tiruchirappalli on the “basis of religion” on Friday when he had gone there to offer prayers.

Hussain, who is associated with the DMK, said he had offered prayers at the temple several times in the past and had even performed Bharatanatyam inside the temple premises. “This is the first time I was stopped at the Ranganatha Swamy temple in Srirangam. I was stopped at the behest of one Rangarajan Narasimhan. I was stopped on the basis of religion, and I was literally pushed out,” Hussain said.

Though a board has been put up prominently that only Hindus are beyond a point, Hussain said, he had always visited the temple and prayed before God. Ranganatha Swamy temple is one of the important temples of the Vaishnavite tradition and attracts devotees from across the country.

Rangarajan Narasimhan, who was named by Hussain, is an activist based out of Srirangam fighting to free temples across Tamil Nadu from government control. In a Twitter post, Narasimhan admitted that he stopped “Hussain, a Muslim” from entering the temple.

“This guy, Zakir Hussain, a Muslim by birth and practice and who abuses Sanathana Dharmis in his Facebook/Twitter was seen inside Srirangam Temple today. I had to show him the door. Archakas of this temple have no sense whatsoever? If he wants to claim to be an SD, why didn’t he convert?” he asked.

As Hussain’s denial into the temple stoked a row, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) Minister P K Sekarbabu said an inquiry will be conducted into the incident. “We will go into the incident and take action, if necessary,” he said.

The temple management said none from the administration side stopped Hussain from entering the premises and declared that it was “ready to welcome him anytime.” It added that it would investigate whether Narasimhan stopped Hussain from entering the temple.

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