M. Radha, a transwoman and a resident of R. K. Mutt Road, Mandaveli has complained against the practice by some people to take care of and feed cats at Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore.
“They dirty the whole temple, including idols at the main sannidhis, vahanams with excreta. The divinity of the heritage temple is lost,” says Radha, who contested as an independent candidate from Chennai South constituency in the recent Lok Sabha election.
In her four-page complaint letter sent to CM’s cell, minister for animal husbandry, and Blue Cross of India, Radha has outlined the mess created by the cats and how one or two people who feed them daily multiply the problems here and that this must be stopped.
The temple premises though is neat and clean for most part of the day. Said a temple worker, “Since we remove the cat’s waste and clean the area in the early morning, it remains neat throughout the day. But some people who visit the temple at 6 a.m. say they find the place smelly.”
Some people we spoke to felt that having cats, especially at the temple is a nuisance. Said a devotee who wanted to be anonymous, “I come to the temple to get some peace. However, since I don’t like cats, when they come near me, I get irritated and move out of the temple quickly. It will be good if they clear them,” she says.
