Director Vignesh Shivan, who recently married actor Nayanthara, has issued a statement apologising to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the affairs of the Sri Venkateswara temple atop Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh. The move came after the TTD said that it was mulling legal action against the newly-wed couple for doing a photoshoot and roaming with footwear on Mada Streets during their visit to Tirumala temple on Friday, June 10.
The couple, who took part in Kalyanotsavam, stirred a controversy by doing a photoshoot in violation of rules. Nayanthara was also seen walking along the Mada Streets with her footwear on, which is a violation of the norm. Video footage of her walking in the surrounding area of the main temple with her footwear on and posing for photographs soon went viral on social media.
In his apology, Vignesh Shivan said that they were in a hurry to complete the photoshoot and did not realise that they had their footwear on. He said they wanted to marry at Tirumala but since this was not possible due to some reasons, they came to the temple immediately after the wedding and to get a feeling that their wedding took place at Tirumala they did the photoshoot.
“We sincerely apologise to those who we could have offended and we mean no disrespect to the lord who we love. We are grateful for the love and wishes we have received from everyone for our special day and we hope you continue to shower us with the positivity we need from you,” ANI quoted him as saying.
As the action of the couple drew flak from various quarters, TTD, which manages the affairs of the richest temple, reacted on Saturday. TTD vigilance officer Bali Reddy told the media that Nayanathara wearing footwear while walking along the Mada Streets was unfortunate. He pointed out that Mada Steers hold high religious significance and as per TTD rules, walking with footwear on in the area is strictly prohibited. He said this happened due to the failure of TTD employees who were on duty.
The vigilance officer said the couple was also found doing a photoshoot which was in violation of TTD rules. "We will take action against those employees who were on duty at that time as they failed to stop the violations," he said. As per TTD rules, private cameras are not allowed in the vicinity of the temple and the couple violated the rules by bringing their cameramen along and doing a photoshoot. He said the TTD board would consult legal experts to proceed legally against Nayanathara and Vignesh Shivan. He hinted that legal notices may be served to the couple.
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With IANS inputs