Tamil Nadu government’s ban on camera-enabled mobile phones inside 52 major temples in the state came into effect on Tuesday (1st September). The Joseph Vijay government has barred devotees from the 52 temples from carrying camera-laden mobile phones inside them.
The decision was announced by Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister Ramesh in the state assembly in compliance with the direction of the Madras High Court dated December 2, 2022. The department has directed temples not to grant permission for making reels and videos or taking photographs inside temples. Devotees carrying camera-less mobile phones inside the temples are exempt from the ban.
The rationale behind the ban is to prevent the inconvenience caused by photography and videography by devotees inside the religious places. Minister Ramesh, in his statement, said that the ban is intended to maintain the peaceful atmosphere inside the temples.
Designated counters have reportedly been set up at the centres for devotees to deposit their camera-enabled mobile phones. Devotees carrying mobile phones with cameras will be required to deposit them at the designated counters after paying ₹5 for each mobile phone, for which a receipt will be issued through the Integrated Temple Management System (ITMS).
As the ban on smartphone use in 52 major #temples across #TamilNadu comes into force today (Sep 1), devotees at Arunachaleshwarar Temple in #Tiruvannamalai queued up to handover their mobile phones at a deposit counter on Tuesday.
— The Hindu – Chennai (@THChennai) September 1, 2026
📹&📸: C. Venkatachalapathy (@venkathin) pic.twitter.com/llhgykLbPK
While some people welcomed the government’s decision to ban mobile phones inside temples, others questioned the ₹5 amount being charged by the government from devotees for collecting their mobile phones.
Why tax PEOPLE for implementing a GOVERNMENT ban?! If you ban something by law, you yourself have to Bear the expenses for that ban.
— Ram Kashyap Rao (@SaketRam10) September 1, 2026
Basic Common-Sense and Natural Justice !@RameshOffcl pic.twitter.com/YyaYOa3Tmu
People are questioning as to why the government is charging money from devotees merely for complying with a rule made and implemented by the government itself.
Why tax PEOPLE for implementing a GOVERNMENT ban?! If you ban something by law, you yourself have to Bear the expenses for that ban.
— Ram Kashyap Rao (@SaketRam10) September 1, 2026
Basic Common-Sense and Natural Justice !@RameshOffcl pic.twitter.com/YyaYOa3Tmu
The HR&CE department has clarified that the ₹5 amount is being charged to meet the cost of operating the deposit counters and the staff engaged in running the counters. However, devotees who visit some of these temples daily are not pleased with the charge, as they would incur a regular cost on every visit to the temple. They said that the HR&CE department should bear the cost of running these designated counters.
