CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has barred the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department from holding any civil constructions in the premises of temples with archaeological significance except for kumbabishekam until the Tamil Nadu heritage commission is constituted.
The direction was issued by a division bench of justices R Suresh Kumar and S Sounthar while hearing the petitions filed by A Radhakrishnan and temple activist T R Ramesh seeking to stay the commercial complex and other constructions in and around the Tiruvannamalai Arunachaleswarar temple.
The bench noted that constructions in archaeologically important temples cannot be held without getting proper permission from the heritage commission once it is constituted and becomes functional in a full-fledged manner.
“We make it clear that no such developments (constructions) or progress, by way of civil constructions, in any archaeologically important or archaeologically-related temples and structures in the state shall be made until further orders,” the bench said in the order passed on Thursday.
However, the bench made it clear that this order shall not be misunderstood that such restrictions, on civil constructions within or outside the heritage structure or temples, shall also be applicable to performing festivals including kumbabishekam and samprokshanam in any temple under the administration of the HR&CE department.
The court expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in completing the procedures for appointing the chairperson and members of the commission. It directed the concerned authorities to issue a wide publication inviting applications from eligible hands within seven days and scrutinise them within fifteen days by the scrutinising committee.
It wanted the authorities to file in a sealed cover a compliance report with the names of three shortlisted candidates before March 5.