The temple administrator, in a statement on Monday said that only priests are allowed entry to the Ardha Mandapa of the temple. The authorities also said that Ilaiyaraaja had mistakenly entered the "Ardha Mandapa" of the temple and voluntarily left from there after being sounded about it
Poovulagin Nanbargal, an NGO, said that PETA India had been spreading false information that Jayamalyatha, an elephant with the Srivilliputhur temple, was being ill-treated.