Vellore Fort temple, ASI at loggerheads again

VELLORE: The ongoing war of words between the Archaeological Society of India (ASI), which maintains the historic Vellore Fort, and the Jalagandeswarar Dharmasthabanam Trust, which administers the Jalagandeswarar temple, intensified on Thursday after an official of the government body ordered the trust to vacate the temple’s rooms, where cooking utensils for ‘Annadhanam’ were stored.

The four-decade-old peaceful atmosphere of the temple was first vitiated when ASI refused permission to the temple trust to park the Rs 5-crore temple car in front of the old bus stand.

The stand-off continued with ASI conservation assistant Akalya complaining to the Vellore North police about the trust occupying a room inside the temple which was not handed over for renovation even after repeated requests. Sources revealed that the room was used to store various items used by the temple.

Following the tussle, Vellore RDO chaired a peace committee meeting in which it was decided that both sides should make all requests in writing. “The room once repaired should be handed back to the temple/trust,” the RDO said.

However, things took a twist when ASI superintendent Kalimuthu accompanied by the media visited the temple and demanded to know why the temple was providing ‘Annadhanam’ on the lines of a hotel with tables and chairs. He ordered that these be removed from the premises.

Meanwhile, trust secretary A Suresh Kumar told DT Next, “We have been requesting in writing the ASI for the last 10 years to allow us to use any of the numerous vacant rooms available on the premises for which there has been no response till date.”

However, the ASI official who visited the temple said the request for use of a vacant room would be considered.

“We will be happy if at least the big room inside the Kalyana Mandapam adjacent to the temple is given to us,” Suresh Kumar said.