TN CM Vijay hands over sandalwood order for Nagore Dargah fest
Synopsis
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on 22 October 2026 handed over a government order to Nagore Dargah trustees, sanctioning free supply of 45 kg of sandalwood for the annual Kanduri Sandanakoodu festival — continuing the state's tradition of in-kind support to major interfaith shrines.
Key Takeaways
Joseph Vijay personally handed over the government order at the Secretariat on 22 October 2026 .
The order sanctions 45 kg of sandalwood at no cost to the Nagore Dargah for the annual Kanduri Sandanakoodu festival.
The order was received by Thiru H.
Haja Najumudeen Sahib , Chief Trustee of Nagore Dargah, and other trustees.
Nagore Dargah in Nagapattinam district is dedicated to Sufi saint Hazrat Syed Shahul Hameed and is one of Tamil Nadu's most prominent interfaith pilgrimage sites.
Tamil Nadu governments have a longstanding practice of providing in-kind support — including sandalwood — to major religious festivals across communities.
Forty-five kilograms of sandalwood — free of charge, delivered by the state — arrived at the hands of the Nagore Dargah trustees on Thursday, 22 October 2026, as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay personally handed over the government order at the Secretariat in Chennai. The gesture, directed at one of South India's most revered Sufi shrines, signals the state's continued practice of extending in-kind support to major religious festivals across communities.
The government order sanctions the supply of 45 kg of sandalwood at no cost to the Nagore Dargah Periya Andavar Kanduri Sandanakoodu Festival for this year. The Chief Minister handed the order directly to Thiru H. Haja Najumudeen Sahib, Chief Trustee of Nagore Dargah, along with other trustees of the shrine.
The shrine at the heart of Kanduri
The Nagore Dargah, located in the coastal town of Nagore in Nagapattinam district, is dedicated to the Sufi saint Hazrat Syed Shahul Hameed and ranks among the most significant Islamic pilgrimage sites in Tamil Nadu. The annual Kanduri festival — marked by the Sandanakoodu ritual, in which sandalwood paste is offered in devotion — draws pilgrims from across faiths, making it a rare living example of syncretic folk piety on the Coromandel Coast.
Sandalwood, an integral component of the Sandanakoodu ceremony, carries both ritual and material weight: it is expensive, fragrant, and symbolically tied to the saint's veneration. The state's supply of 45 kg directly reduces the financial burden on the trust while publicly affirming the government's stake in the festival's continuity.
A longstanding state tradition across Tamil Nadu's faith landscape
Tamil Nadu governments have maintained this practice of providing sandalwood and other in-kind support to major religious festivals as part of the state's cultural and minority welfare framework. The Kanduri sandalwood order is consistent with that lineage — a practical act that carries considerable symbolic resonance in a state where interfaith civic culture is often woven into public governance.
The move also arrives in an electoral and social climate where minority welfare signals are scrutinised closely. By receiving the trustees personally at the Chief Minister's Secretariat, CM Vijay elevated the handover beyond routine bureaucracy into a visible act of official engagement with the Muslim community ahead of the festival season.
Point of View
High-visibility signal of inclusive governance. What distinguishes this year is the personal visibility of CM Vijay at the handover, elevating a routine administrative act into a political statement. In a state where Sufi shrine networks command deep grassroots loyalty across caste and faith lines, the Nagore Dargah gesture fits a pattern of building social capital with minority communities. Whether parallel orders for other major shrines and temples emerge in the same window will reveal whether this is targeted outreach or part of a wider, symmetrical festive-season framework.
NationPress
22 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Nagore Dargah Kanduri Sandanakoodu festival?
The Kanduri festival at Nagore Dargah is an annual celebration honouring the Sufi saint Hazrat Syed Shahul Hameed, in which sandalwood paste — Sandanakoodu — is ritually offered to the saint's shrine. It draws pilgrims of multiple faiths from across Tamil Nadu and beyond.
How much sandalwood did the Tamil Nadu government give to Nagore Dargah in 2026?
The Tamil Nadu government sanctioned 45 kg of sandalwood free of cost for the 2026 Nagore Dargah Kanduri Sandanakoodu festival, as per the government order handed over by CM C. Joseph Vijay on 22 October 2026.
Who is the Chief Trustee of Nagore Dargah?
As of October 2026, the Chief Trustee of Nagore Dargah is Thiru H. Haja Najumudeen Sahib , who received the government order directly from CM C. Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat.
Has the Tamil Nadu government provided sandalwood to Nagore Dargah before?
Yes. Tamil Nadu governments have maintained a longstanding practice of supplying sandalwood and other in-kind support to major religious festivals of different communities, including the Nagore Dargah Kanduri festival, as part of the state's cultural and minority welfare measures.
Where is Nagore Dargah located?
Nagore Dargah is located in Nagore, Nagapattinam district , Tamil Nadu, on the Coromandel Coast. It is one of the most significant Sufi shrines in South India.
