Two black magic practitioners from Tamil Nadu were arrested from the sacred grove of the Kundayam Malankavu temple at Pathanapuram late on Tuesday for unauthorised entry into the premises and trying to conduct some rituals on the sly.
They were indentified as Mariappan, 58, from Kovilpatti in Tuticorin district and Pichayya, 59, from Virudhunagar.
At the time of arrest both were under the influence of alcohol, the police said.
At least three others with them managed to escape.
The police said that a Pathanapuram-based man had brought them to the place secretly for conducting a ritual to help him sell a property near the temple.
Local residents who happened to see them go into the sacred grove suspected something unusual and informed the police.