At Srirangam shrine, banned practices go on

Even seven years after an expert team inspected the rajagopuram of Sri Ranganathswamy Temple in Srirangam when it developed cracks and recommended suggestions to keep it intact, the tallest temple tower in South Asia continues to face manmade threats from various quarters. Most of the activities that were suggested to be banned by the expert team and subsequently implemented by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department to ensure the safety of the rajagopuram continue.

According to HR&CE department in Srirangam, which is maintaining the temple, the base of rajagopuram developed cracks in 2010. Following this, an expert team from HR&CE, Archaeology Survey of India, and structural engineering experts from IIT-M inspected all the 13 tiers and concluded that the rajagopuram was stable.

However, the team insisted that the HR&CE department and the district administration impose certain restrictions around the rajagopuram. It suggested a ban on movement of heavy vehicles through the rajagopuram. The team also advised banning of construction work such as piling and sinking borewells and setting off fireworks within a 40-metre radius of the structure. Subsequently, in July 2010, entry of vehicles except twowheelers through the rajagopuram was banned by HR&CE.
However, the instructions of the expert committee remain on paper as autorickshaws continue to ply through the Rajagopuram, and heavy vehicles including tourist buses and trucks move along the streets bordering the structure. “Just 30 feet from the rajagopuram, 10-20 buses ply every hour on Gandhi Road. Not just buses, even the movement of two-wheelers in large numbers would affect the stability of the structure,” S Kannan, a resident of Srirangam, said.

When contacted, P Jayaraman, HR&CE joint commissioner of the temple, said, “In the recent past we have stopped six to seven new construction works within a 40-metre radius of the rajagopuram. We take action immediately whenever we receive any complaints regarding new construction works. People need to cooperate with us in the efforts to keep the temple premises safe.”

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