The pandhal that was installed in front of the Arulmigu Rajaganapathi Temple in Salem in Tamil Nadu on Friday, 28 August 2026.
| Photo Credit: LAKSHMI NARAYANAN E
The devotees and Hindu outfits on Friday voiced their displeasure with the Salem district administration’s alleged instruction to remove the pandals erected for the consecration ceremony at the Arulmigu Rajaganapathi Temple in Salem.Devotees in large numbers are expected to attend the consecration ceremony of the temple located on First Agraharam Road here on Sunday (August 30). Cloth pandals were erected near the temple two weeks ago. The devotees and Hindu outfits alleged that the officials are now insisting on removing the pandals.BJP State environment cell president R.P. Gopinath and Hindu Munnani Salem zone in-charge Santhosh Kumar told reporters that there was no communication from the officers until the pandal works were completed. With just one day left for the ceremony, they are demanding the removal of the pandals, stating that they may be unsafe. The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department and the district administration should take steps to conduct the function peacefully.“We are ready to strengthen the pandal. But removing them is unacceptable. These pandals are for devotees to participate in the rituals that will be held as part of the ceremony from Saturday,” Mr. Gopinath added.Meanwhile, the Salem district administration has clarified that the Fire and Rescue Services, Police, and Public Works department submitted their technical report, claiming that the pandals are not strong enough to handle over 30,000 devotees expected to attend the event. Permission was given to strengthen the pandal erected in front of the temple. It has been decided to remove the pandals erected on other streets on August 30, the day of consecration. Published - August 28, 2026 07:35 pm IST
