The Devaswom Ombudsman has submitted before the Kerala High Court that the height of flagmast of Aranmula Parathasarathy Temple which is designed according to Tantric rules cannot be reduced for the airport project. Shifting of temple gopuram is also out of question, it said.
“The height of the flagmast is determined on the basis of the height of sreekovil and other measurements of the temple and it cannot be reduced for accommodating the airport. If the suggestions are carried out it will be as good as shifting the temple itself to some other convenient place, which I am afraid the devotees will not permit,” Justice R Bhaskaran said in his report.
Two reports on the proposed airport at Aranmula suggest delimitating the boundaries of the temple along with some alterations in the flagmast. The project report by KITCO and the study report by the Airports Authority of India pointed out that the project implementation will affect the flag mast and gopuram of the temple.