TIRUCHY: Questioning the inaction despite about two months having passed since a portion of the cement plastering of the front arch gave away, devotees urge the HR&CE department to undertake repairs on the structure at the Mariamman temple in Samayapuram without any further delay. Hundreds of devotees enter the sanctum and ritual areas of the temple through the arch.
Devotees can often be spotted lighting lamps and pouring salt into the plastic drums placed near the arch as part of rituals. It is against this backdrop that a portion of the plastering came off the arch around two months ago. Mentioning there already having been warning signs ahead of the incident, devotees, blaming a lack of timely maintenance, urge the temple administration to immediately inspect the structure and carry out restoration work.
They also point to the added risks to the structure posed by the rains. A local shopkeeper near the temple said, “What’s worrying is that the issue has been visible for several months but no concrete action has been taken. It is only a matter of time before the arch collapses completely if it is not repaired. Hundreds of people, including children and the elderly, walk under this arch every hour.”
R Revathi, a devotee from Lalgudi, said, “We come here with devotion but we now get scared every time we cross the arch. Temporary safety barriers or warning signs should be placed immediately to keep people away from the dangerous portions of the structure.”
When contacted, Joint Commissioner A Prakash told TNIE, “We are aware of the issue. We will begin repair work after completing the entrance arch on Four-Junction Road.”