DINDIGUL: The famous Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple in Palani recovered its 6.92-acre land from an individual, who had had it illegally under his custody for over six decades now, on Kumbakarai road near Periyakulam on Saturday.
Based on an order issued by the Veera Shanmuga Moni, Commissioner of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR&CE), to recover the encroached properties and lands of temples, the authorities have initiated steps for recovery.
A temple source said that the authorities identified the encroached land spread in about 6.92 acres of land (patta number-862)located at Vadakarai near Periyakulam via Kumbakarai falls. A person had encroached upon the land 60 years ago and had raised several mango and tamarind trees.
Sources stated that he had failed to obtain permission from the respective authorities to grow trees in the temple land and did not have any valid documents to maintain the land.
Hence, the temple authorities informed Theni Collector N Venkatachalam last month.
Later, a team of revenue officials visited the grove and conducted an inquiry. As they learnt about the encroachment on temple land, they issued a patta in the name of Palani
Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple and handed it over to the temple joint commissioner.
A team of officials from the temple and the revenue department erected a sign board stating that the land belonged to the temple, on Saturday.
Rajamanickam told Express that the temple land had been encroached by a person for the last over 6 decades and the district administration rendered help to recover the 6.92-acre temple land.