Encroachers at Srirangam temple told to clear out by December 31

TRICHY: HR&CE has served eviction notices on encroachers, mostly shops, at the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple and have asked them to vacate by December 31. The temple management has identified 40 encroachments both inside and outside the temple complex.
The Madurai bench of the Madras high court had recently directed the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department to clear encroachments and shops on the temple premises.

Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, spread over 156 acres, is accessed through three major gates - Ranga Ranga gopuram, Vellai gopuram and another near the Thaayar shrine. Ranga Ranga gopuram is the most accessed entry point by pilgrims arriving on foot, making up for 70%-75% of devotees visiting the temple.

However, being the one with the most footfalls among the 21 gopurams (towers), 300m from the Rajagopuram to the Ranga Ranga gopuram remains an eyesore as stalls eclipse the architecture and stone pillar halls in the temple. Even as HR&CE took up eviction measures in 2017, it did not address the objective as a section of traders approached the Madras high court seeking a stay on eviction.

On June 4, the high court bench directed the temple management to give traders time to find suitable alternatives to carry on their business.

“Traders encroaching temple space were permitted to occupy till December 31, 2018, after which temple authorities were given the liberty to evict encroachments,” a senior official with HR&CE department said. Srirangam temple management said that they have started issuing eviction notices to encroachers in the last few weeks.

Among the 40 encroachments identified, 25 were found within temple complex while the remaining 15 were identified on temple properties outside the 156 acre complex. Residents of Srirangam who have been wanting HR&CE to remove the encroachments remain sceptical about HR&CE’s move.

Locals said encroachments in the 16 pillar stone hall and four pillar hall should be removed on priority.

“The grace period was given considering the livelihood of traders. Having bagged the Unesco award of merit for conserving cultural heritage we are have to protect the temple’s architectural beauty,” the official added. HR&CE sources added that encroachers would be frequently reminded about the deadline for smooth implementation of the order.