Mobile phones prohibited on Srirangam temple premises from Sept 1

A vinyl board kept at the entrane of the Renga Renga gopuram at Srirangam temple alerting the public and devotees on the ban on the use of mobile phones inside the temple premises from September 1. Devotees visiting the Srirangam Sri Ranganathaswamy temple will not be able to carry their mobile phones into the premises with effect from September 1. The move is based on a Madras High Court order and as per the circular of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department.Necessary arrangements are being made by the temple authorities to install lockers at the entrances of the temple to enable devotees to safely deposit their mobile phones before proceeding inside. The temple authorities have placed vinyl boards at various spots outside the sprawling temple complex to inform devotees about the ban. The boards containing messages in English, Tamil, Hindi and Telugu have been installed at the ‘Vellai Gopuram’ entrance, along the West Uthira Veethi, at the entrance of the North tower, at the entrance of the Renga Renga gopuram, in front of the ‘Mottai Gopuram’ and near the Srirangam bus stand.Foremost among the 108 Divya Desams, the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple attracts large numbers of devotees not only from Tamil Nadu but also from the neighbouring States of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala, as well as from various north Indian States. A temple official said that, in addition to the existing lockers, orders have been placed for 30 additional lockers to be installed at chosen locations outside the sprawling temple complex before September 1 for devotees to safely deposit their mobile phones. The lockers would be installed near the south main, east and north entrances to the temple. A nominal amount would be charged from the devotees when they deposit their mobile phones and tokens would be issued to them. They could collect their mobile phones after handing over the token.Sheds have already been put up for the installation of the lockers, and a trial would be conducted before the system comes into effect, the official said. Closed-circuit television cameras are also planned to be installed near the lockers inside the facility, where a computer and printing system would be in place. Manpower would be posted at the locker facility at the three entrances to work in shift.The official said the footfall of devotees to the Srirangam temple rises sharply on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and on other important temple festivals. The devotees’ footfall reaches its peak during the annual Vaikunta Ekadasi festival which is celebrated during the Tamil month ‘Margazhi’. Published - August 25, 2026 10:23 am IST