Idols were found destroyed in the Avinashilingeswarar temple in Avinashi in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruppur district on Tuesday, May 23. According to News18, a man named Saravana Bharati was detained by the Avinashi police in connection with the case. He was reportedly hiding atop a gopuram (tower) in the temple. The police claimed that Saravana has intellectual disabilities and is undergoing psychiatric treatment at the Avinashi Government Hospital.
The destruction was spotted by priests who had opened the temple in the early hours of Tuesday. They noticed that several objects in the temple were broken and scattered on the floor. It appeared as if attempts were made to break two donation boxes and several idols of the 63 Nayanmars were broken.
The priests reported the destruction to the police and to the temple management board. The investigation was headed by the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Paulraj.
Hindu outfits staged protests outside the temple after news of the incident spread. To avoid mishaps, police officers were stationed outside the temple. Owing to this, no puja was performed in the temple on Tuesday and devotees were not allowed inside.