Priests deny wedding of bride with Christian name in Vilathikulam temple

MADURAI: Priests at Shankara Rameshwarar Udanurai Pagampriyal Kovil in Vilathikulam taluk of Thoothukudi district denied consummation of the marriage of a couple objecting to the non-Hindu name of the bride, forcing them to tie their knot outside temple premises

A woman named Anthony Divya was about to get married to one named Kannan at the Murugan Sannathi of the Shiva temple. Rajendran, a relative of the bridegroom, said archakars raised objections to conduct the wedding at the sannathi inside the temple since the bride’s prefixed to the Christian name.

The bride Anthony Divya from Tharuvaikulam reportedly studied in a Christian management school, but her school certificate mentioned her religion as Hindu, sources said. Despite her father Murugan and mother Revathi having Hindu names, the priests allegedly denied conducting their marriage inside the temple.

The family of the bride and bridegroom allegedly objected that archakas don’t have rights to block a marriage in the sannathi of a temple on such reasons. But after the opposition, they conducted a simple marriage ceremony in the midst of relatives on the road in front of the temple. Agitated over this issue, Rajendran said that he

Permission for marriage inside shrine was denied as the school TC of the bride proved her to be Christian, said temple EO

would take it up to the courts for necessary action.

Executive Officer of the temple, Tamilselvi said the school TC of the bride mentions her religion as Christian, she claimed. “As per rules, any wedding in the temple should be properly registered with valid documents certifying names, religion,” she said.