CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed that no civil works, including the construction of a Rajagopuram (temple tower), shall be carried out at the Sri Venkatesa Perumal Temple in Mondipalayam, Avinashi taluk of Tiruppur district, without prior approval from the Tamil Nadu Heritage Commission, after the state gave an undertaking to that effect.
A division bench of Justices G R Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan passed the order on Friday while disposing of a PIL filed by P Bhaskar of Guduvancheri, who challenged a tender notification for the Rajagopuram’s construction at the ancient temple, locally known as “Mela Tirupati”.
Advocate B Jagannath, appearing for the petitioner, cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in T R Ramesh’s case and a January 29, 2026, special bench order staying all temple civil works across Tamil Nadu pending Heritage Commission approval.
Additional Advocate General (AAG) P V Balasubramanian submitted that approvals had been obtained from the State Expert Committee.
The bench, however, held that the special bench’s order was categorical: no civil works can proceed without Heritage Commission clearance, irrespective of other approvals.
The bench also invoked Sections 16 and 17 of the Tamil Nadu Heritage Commission Act, 2012, now in force and said it was for the new government to constitute the Commission expeditiously. Until then, no works could proceed at this temple.
The AAG thereupon undertook that no construction would be carried out at the temple without Heritage Commission approval, and that the state would move swiftly to constitute the body.
