Prove you are a Hindu, Madurai temple tells actress Namitha

Actress Namitha on Monday complained that she was asked to furnish proof of being a Hindu during her visit to the renowned Sri Meenakshi Sundareshwar temple in Madurai, and expressed disappointment over the alleged rude behaviour of temple officials.

The actress, who is a Bharatiya Janta Party state executive member, alleged that a temple official prevented her from having darshan and demanded proof of being a Hindu.

"They asked for a certificate to prove that I am a Hindu and also my caste certificate. I never underwent such an ordeal in any temple that I visited in the country," she told reporters later.

Namitha said it was a known fact that she was born a Hindu and that her marriage was solemnised in Tirupati and her son was named after Lord Krishna. "This being the case they spoke rudely and arrogantly and demanded a certificate to prove my caste and my faith," she said.

A senior official at the temple denied the allegations and said they stopped Namitha and her husband who were wearing masks to enquire if they were Hindus and explained the tradition at the temple.

"After the clarification from them, she was anointed with kumkum on her forehead and taken inside the temple for a darshan of Goddess Meenakshi," he said.

When asked about this, the actress replied that she was allowed for darshan only after clarification of her faith and applying kumkum on her forehead.

She said her visit to Madurai was spiritual and she had come to celebrate Krishna Janmashtami at ISKCON.

"There's a way of asking. I was made to wait for 20 minutes in a corner. We had informed the police about our visit on Sunday," she said.

The actress said she wore a mask as she did not want to disturb devotees who might recognise her.

Earlier in the day, she put out a video message to Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P K Sekar Babu on her predicament and requested him to take action on the "rude" temple official.