DINDIGUL: Claiming that the pillars of the 16th century Abirami Amman Temple in Dindigul town are missing after the ‘Thirupani’, Hindu outfits raised concern, adding that renovation work at the temple destroyed many ancient relics.
Speaking to TNIE, Hindu Tamilar Katchi president Rama Ravikumar said, “Abirami Amman Temple is over 500 years old and is located in Dindigul town. ‘Thirupani’ works were carried out for Rs 4-5 crore between 2013 and 2016. Locals pointed out that while the earlier entrance was south-facing, it now faces east. However, the contractors appointed by the trustees refused to listen. Many pillars are also missing. The kumbhabhishekam was carried out in 2016 and in June 2024, the trustees decided to construct a wedding hall near the temple for Rs 3.59 crore and obtained a loan of Rs 1.58 crore from Soundaraja Temple in Thadikombu of Dindigul town.”
Ravikumar further said that when workers dug a pit to build the wedding hall, they found seven pillars, reportedly the original pillars from the Abirami Amman Temple. Locals have alleged that some of these pillars were used in private mills owned by the trustees, he added.
"The carvings on the pillars are similar to stone pillars created inside ‘Madapalli’ hall inside the Hindu temple. The style of the carving is from the 14-15th century, during the reign of the Pandyan Dynasty."
But, the trustees of the temple management termed the allegations as completely baseless.
Speaking to TNIE, K Veerakumar, one of the trustees said, "We were present during the 'Thirupani' works. Many statues are very old, but they were not replaced or thrown away. Some statues are irreparable, such as the Lord Dhandapani statue, Vinayagar statues and Naga statues. As they have historical and spiritual significance, they were kept safely inside the temple. A few months ago, we decided to clean the premises behind the temple, spread over 30 cents, using earthmovers and we found four pillars in a dilapidated condition. These could be old pillars from the 'Praharam' entrance, so we safely moved them inside the temple. Some individuals claimed that the pillars were removed and transported to build a room at a private mill of the managing trustee of Abirami Amman Temple. The room is a 'Savadi' structure used for devotees and travellers built several decades ago and we have documentary evidence for the same."
An official from the HR&CE department told TNIE, "We have received the complaint. We will verify the artefacts present inside the temple and crosscheck the same with the records. Besides, our conservation wing will also take the issue into account."