Tamil Nadu HR&CE dept. exempts Tiruvannamalai, Sholinghur temples from collecting mobile phone deposit fee
The Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department has rescinded a ₹5 mobile phone deposit fee at two major temples following public opposition. While smartphone use remains banned in 52 temples, the department is adjusting logistics to accommodate devotees, including exemptions for senior citizens and those with disabilities.
Why it matters
This reflects the tension between modern technology management in religious spaces and the practical needs of the public, demonstrating the impact of community feedback on administrative policy.
The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department has allowed devotees to deposit their mobile phones free of cost at designated mobile phone deposit centres at Arunachaleswarar Temple and Sri Lakshminarasimhar Temple in Tiruvannamalai and Sholinghur towns respectively, on Wednesday (September 9, 2026).
Temple officials said the action comes after opposition from the public on charging ₹5 for each mobile phone deposited in these temples which were among the 52 major temples in Tamil Nadu where the use of smartphone was banned by the HR&CE Department since September 1 . “We have withdrawn the order of charging ₹5 for mobile phones at deposit centres. A fixed time to deposit mobile phones has also been decided upon,” a senior HR&CE official told The Hindu .
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