CHENNAI, June 9: Chief minister M Karunanidhi on Monday said he did not believe that the famous Brahadeeswarar temple at Thanjavur was a jinxed one for politicians and that anyone who dared to visit it would either lose power or die.Reacting to media reports that he avoided using the main entrance while visiting the temple to see the burnt yagasala, Karunanidhi told mediapersons at the Secretariat on Monday that he did not know which was the side entrance and which was the main entrance.

He said he was escorted by the police officials to the area.He said he had visited the temple on previous occasions and added that he was elected to the Assembly from Kulithalai segment in 1957 elections, only after he visited the temple. Similarly when he had won against Parisuddha Nadar, a big shot in the Congress, in the 1967 Assembly elections from Thanjavur, he had visited the temple. The visits had enabled him to capture power, he believed. He said the government would constitute a committee to recommend preventive measures while organising temple festivals in future and to protect such rare architectural structures.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.