Rajan alias Venkatesan, 52, suffered head injuries after he had an accidental fall from an elevated platform while performing puja at the Anjaneyar temple here on Sunday.
The incident occurred when Mr. Rajan, working as an Assistant General Manager at a spinning mill on Salem Road in Namakkal, lost his balance while garlanding the idol and fell to the ground.
He was admitted to a private hospital in Namakkal.
When his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to a private hospital in Salem where surgery was performed. Doctors said that his condition continues to be critical.
Temple authorities said that this is the first time that such an incident had happened in the temple. They said that Mr. Rajan is not on the rolls of the temple and used to assist his brother in the pujas.