Appeasing Amman to end streak of bad luck

When misfortunes visit people in quick succession, the victims tend to believe they have earned divine wrath. So, when ten residents of Bharat Nagar and MGR Nagar near Selaiyur died mysteriously in March and April 2011, residents believed that it was because of the ‘Badrakaliamman’ temple, which had been constructed in the heart of MGR Nagar. They claim that the goddess had to be placed along the border, and not in the middle of the settlement. Residents said that though the temple had existed for more than a decade, the sudden spate of deaths made them wary. They conducted special pujas to please the deity and then decided to approach the authorities to shift the temple.