Will Murugan Manadu's Massive Success Herald The 'De-Dravidianisation' Of Tamil Nadu?

On 22 June, a conference of devotees of Muruga, called the ‘Muruga Bakthargalin Aanmeega Maanadu’, was conducted in Madurai under the leadership of the Hindu Munnani, an organisation affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The event was attended by over five lakh people, with one of the highlights being the large crowd reciting the Kanda Shashti Kavacham, a Tamil hymn dedicated to Muruga.

While to a lay observer it may not have seemed out of the ordinary, as mass recitations are expected at such a conference, the event’s political undertones make it very significant.

Here are some of them:

The first was the ability of a Sangh Parivar outfit to organise such a large gathering in a state that has been steeped in Dravidianism. The sheer scale of the event — lakhs of people attending it despite all the propaganda against it — was unprecedented. Most of these people were commoners with no connection to the Munnani or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Asked what he thought was the driving force behind the large public participation, M Nachiappan, who heads the state BJP’s spiritual and temple wing, said that it was the intense dissatisfaction with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government and the way they were handling temples.

“Nothing else explains this because for the last two months, the ruling party was trying its best to portray the conference as ‘political’ and not ‘spiritual’, in order to dissuade them. Multiple ministers, starting with Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HRCE) minister P Sekar Babu, made such statements. But people saw through the propaganda.”

Social media influencer Saravanaprasad Balasubramanian, who attended the Manadu, added that the thorough arrangements played a role.

“There were enough karyakartas stationed everywhere. There were six to seven parking spots for vehicles so that people did not have to walk for too long to reach the venue. The seating area was divided into boxes. For each box there were 2–3 people who guided the attendees to their chairs and ensured that they were comfortably seated. Even without any support from police, the event went off without a hitch.”

Muruga Belongs To Everyone, Not Just Tamils

Not wanting to confine the Muruga devotees conference to Tamils alone, the organisers invited Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Pawan Kalyan, the deputy chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.

Kalyan’s mention of Muruga being called Subramanya in Andhra and Karthikeya in northern states was important, given that a lot of Tamils have been fed on the idea that the deity they hold dear is not given importance elsewhere. It wasn’t too long ago that a former DMK MP had courted controversy when he asked if ‘family planning’ had happened in the north because they worship Shiva, Parvati and Ganesha more.

Rejuvenating The Party, Talk Of Abolishing The HRCE Department

Next is that it breathed life into the state unit of the BJP, which was looking subdued after the change in leadership. In politics, visibility is a very important thing, and of late, it looked like the BJP was being overshadowed by actor Vijay’s Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK).

The other bold thing done was having an audio-visual which depicted what Dravidian ideologues such as E V Ramasamy had done to Hinduism. This was shown even though leaders of its alliance partners, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), were on stage.

The conference also called for the abolition of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HRCE) department, which has been accused of corruption and poor management of temples. This has been a promise of the state unit of the BJP.

“One of the takeaways from the conference was that common people got to realise that the HRCE does not own the temples and that it was formed to manage them. Now they understand that they have the right to demand better upkeep and accountability,” said Nachiappan. “People are genuinely dissatisfied. You have incidents like a man who died while waiting for darshan in Tiruchendur. There are numerous cases of temple property being encroached or funds diverted for other purposes.”

Keeping Up The Momentum Gained In Tiruparankundram

The choice of Madurai is very significant for the BJP and the Munnani.

A protest planned by them in February this year, against the demand by some Muslim groups to allow animal sacrifice at the Sikandar dargah on the sacred Tiruparankundram hill, could not take place at the scale they intended, as the DMK government ensured that a lot of people who were on their way were held back before they could enter the city.

Summing up the intent behind selecting Madurai, when the conference could have been held in any other city, a BJP worker from Tirunelveli said, “When our protest was foiled, we felt that we should come back to the same spot and deliver the exact same message, that too in much greater numbers. The consciousness aroused then should not be allowed to go to waste.”

The conference thus more than made up for it.

Further, during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had finished second in the constituency, securing more than two lakh votes. “While this conference was not political, there are bound to be some side effects. Our performance is going to improve manifold. The message is resonating with the people. There is a rise in Hindu consciousness,” said Raama Sreenivasan, the party’s candidate who is also a state general secretary.

“The impact is huge. The DMK is trying its best to criticise us as it is afraid of Hindu unity. There are larger gatherings of Hindus during festivals like Chithirai Thiruvizha or the Pournami Girivalam in Tiruvannamalai. That does not make them afraid as those are depictions of Hindu Bhakti. But this is a depiction of Hindu Shakti and Bhakti. This is why they are scared,” he added.

Lastly is the symbolism of bringing the experience of darshan of Arupadai Veedu (six abodes of Muruga) in one location. Just like visiting Kashi is a wish that Hindus across the world have, the common Tamil Hindu wishes to visit all six, but while three are in close proximity (Tiruparankundram, Pazhamudir Cholai and Palani), the others — Tiruchendur, Tiruttani and Swamimalai — are far apart, making it difficult to visit them regularly.

The gesture struck a chord with people.

Political Fallout

While people remain sceptical about whether this would convert into votes, party leaders are optimistic about the outcome.

According to Asokan, the BJP can now ask who is really with Tamils — those who are with Murugan, their revered deity, or the DMK, who would rather turn a blind eye to activities hurting the sentiments of devotees. “This can be an important part of the party’s campaign plank for the 2026 elections.”

Going even further, Sreenivasan said, “The kind of Dravidianism propagated by the DMK (not the AIADMK) and its predecessor, the Dravidar Kazhagam, is what led to ‘de-Hinduisation’ of this state. What this conference has done is begin the process of ‘de-Dravidianisation’.”

Their hopes are not entirely unfounded. The success of the Muruga devotees conference has sparked demands for similar ones dedicated to Shiva, Amman, and Pillaiyar (Ganesh). Whether the Hindu Munnani will do that or not remains to be seen.