Can’t control temple car on cement road, say devotees
The reason for their anger is the pending demand to set right the road adjacent to the temple wall in the 6th ‘pragaram’ for nearly seven-years have not been given the first priority
Highways Department laying road on ‘7th pragaram’ in Tiruvannamalai town
TIRUVANNAMALAI: The laying of a high-tech cement road on the 7th ‘pragaram’ (one of the outer roads around Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar Temple) in Tiruvannamalai has earned the wrath of devotees.
The reason for their anger is the pending demand to set right the road adjacent to the temple wall in the 6th ‘pragaram’ for nearly seven-years have not been given the first priority.
With temple officials releasing the invitation for the planting of the traditional ‘Panthakkal’ on September 21 for this year’s annual Karthigai Deepam festival scheduled to be held between November 14 and 30, many demand to know if the work will be completed before the festivities start due to intervention of the occasional rain.
Complicating matters are complaints of lack of cooperation from the local body and Tangedco to the Highways Department, which is involved in the Rs 15 crore project.
“Cooperation was lacking despite all knowing about PWD Minister EV Velu’s personal interest in the matter,” sources said.
Asked why nobody complained to him, the source said, “Who will complain when the local body is with the ruling dispensation? Officials will not complain naturally, but doubts remain whether the work will be completed on time.”
A long-time resident Sethu said that there is always a comparison with Tiruvarur regarding Mada Street where the temple car runs on specific days during the Deepam festival.
“But, the ground is flat in Tiruvarur, in Tiruvannamalai, the temple car, once it leaves the Thiruvoodal Street has to go up an incline, and then after turning around the Periya Gopuram area goes down a slope. The huge chariot is usually anchored by a JCB from the rear on the big street,” he said.
“The sanded cement road will make it hard to stop the chariot even with the JCB’s help,” a local resident fumed.
A source close to the contractor undertaking the work said, “We are using sophisticated equipment usually meant for airport work. Working in airports is easy as there is no human element involved whereas here people and two-wheelers crisscross as and when they please, damaging the sensor fixed markers and making our work harder.”
When there was a seven-year demand to set-right, the 6th ‘pragaram’ around the temple properly, what was the need to lay a cement road in the 7th ‘pragaram,’ locals wanted to know.
