Photography @ Temples

March 30th, 2009

A small ply card welcomes you Meenakshiamman kovil at Madurai. It reads “photography not allowed inside the temple, if caught then camera and film will be confiscated”. Other temples at least allow photography inside the campus and ban only in the inner sanctum.

I strongly want photography to be allowed inside the temples, sanctum included. To me it makes no sense to ban photography inside the temple.

Photography will not reduce the purity of temple premise
Photography will increase the popularity of the temple
People will get to know more about the temples by looking at the photographs
People can cherish their wonderful moments for time infinity
Temples provide ample photographic opportunity and it should be there for everybody’s taking
Temples are so rich in art, it is impossible to retain details in ones brain alone, photography solves the problem
How different is painting of temples/mulavar different from photography, Not much according to me
And finally aren’t the temples the public place ? Photography in public place should be birth right. .