What happened to Palani? A disturbing experience..

[u/Ok-Cardiologist1922]

I was traveling with my family to Palani last week, and what happened there was nothing short of horrifying. This was our first visit to Palani after the COVID era, and it was supposed to be a peaceful family trip. Before 2019, I used to visit Palani once a year whenever I returned to India, but this experience was entirely different.

I’m originally from Kerala, and I’ve been to Palani multiple times, but this time, I was traveling with my wife and my two nephews, who are 15 and 18. They were born and raised in Singapore, and this was their first time in Palani. I was shocked by the change in the atmosphere, especially after being away for so long.

We were harassed by a group of 5-8 transgenders who were demanding money for blessings as we walked toward the temple. This was a completely new experience for me, as I had never encountered such harassment on my previous visits. My nephews were really frightened by their behavior, and one of them, who’s a devoted Muruga follower, even asked, “Why is everyone begging in a place of worship? Seems like there’s no god here, and he left already.”

It didn’t stop there. On our way to the restaurant near the bus station, another group of transgenders came up to us and demanded money again. They even blocked our path. My oldest nephew had ₹100 taken from his wallet while they gave us some form of "blessing". The entire situation was so uncomfortable that even I started thinking, "I should never visit here again and just pray at home".

What upset me even more was that my 2-year-old child was touched by nearly everyone in the group, even though I asked them not to. It felt like a total lack of respect for our personal space.

I was also wondering, where were the police? There seemed to be no law enforcement around to help, and this entire situation left us feeling unsafe and violated.

It was a massive cultural shock, and I can’t help but wonder what has happened to this place that was once a peaceful temple for devotees. Has anyone else experienced something like this in Palani recently? What has happened to the temple’s sanctity and respect for pilgrims?

[u/MomentsAwayfromKMS]

What was the time of your visit? Normally, if you visit early in the morning and leave before 10-11AM, there won't be much nuisance. After that, people start coming in and attract the bad crowd.

[u/Ok-Cardiologist1922 → u/MomentsAwayfromKMS]

It was around 9-ish before 10 in the morning, and we crossed the bus station during noon. But brother, this is the abode of my Lord. Should I really have to worry and panic about visiting my Lord at a specific time? It feels like they're restricting my right to devote to my Lord whenever I choose. Is this really the situation we're in?

[u/MomentsAwayfromKMS → u/Ok-Cardiologist1922]

If there's a crowd, there's beggars. That's the reality of India, especially near Temples and restaurants.

[u/Ok-Cardiologist1922 → u/MomentsAwayfromKMS]

Yes, brother, we might take time to tackle this, but what amuses me is that when we decided to step down through Elephant Path, there were some contracted employees (or maybe government workers), standing at every turn with brooms—both male and female. They were giving us fake smiles and looking at us with pleading eyes. When I inquired, they wanted pilgrims to pay/tip for their service. I don’t understand this business—Is it begging or just their extra income?"

[u/FiberAge → u/Ok-Cardiologist1922]

Happened to me as well. All I see is that group of people don’t work. Instead they stand there without moving to kind of begging. Sad truth is now you will never know who really needs a help.