CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has temporarily restrained the HR&CE department from continuing with the constructions on the premises of the Tiruvannamalai Arunachaleswarar temple and its outer periphery. The bench said such constructions would affect the heritage features of the temple.
A special division bench of justices R Suresh Kumar and S Sounthar issued the interim injunction against the authorities from constructing a queue complex and providing basic amenities for devotees while hearing the petitions filed against such constructions.
Referring to photographs produced by one of the petitioners, TR Ramesh, a temple activist, the bench said it finds that some ‘pucca’ constructions with concrete pillars and beams are being made adjacent to the compound wall of the temple; and the distance between the wall and the construction area is very minimal.
“Thereby, we prima facie feel the archaeological importance and the aesthetic beauty of the temple would certainly get diminished if the construction is permitted to go on further,” the bench said in a recent order.
The bench questioned whether constructions could be undertaken even outside the temple because these constructions have been engaged in the lis before the court for quite some time.
It noted that the special government pleader for HR&CE has submitted that the row shop complex proposed to be built outside the temple would be shelved and instead, the authorities wanted to install some facilities for devotees, for which a queue complex with waiting halls was being constructed.
Stating that the gap between the queue complex and the main wall, a heritage wall, of the temple is very narrow like a lane, the bench said it would be a big question if the proposed facility would help the devotees or create hindrance to the aesthetic beauty of the temple itself.
The bench sought the HR&CE department to file a justification report with regard to the said construction with supporting documents during the next hearing.
“Till such time, no further constructions shall be made either inside the temple premises or outside it,” the bench ordered. The judges said they are likely to inspect the temple on October 5. They adjourned the hearing of the petitions to October 16.
