Within a week of a devotee’s fatal fall from the Thalaimalai hillock temple in Namakkal district bordering Tiruchi while circumambulating the shrine, a fence has come up for prevention of such tragic occurrences in future.
The safety measure has been funded by a trustee of the temple controlled by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department. The L-shaped fence, four-foor high, has been put up to a length of nearly 20 metres to prevent devotees from taking out ‘girivalam’ atop the temple risking their lives.
For their part, the Namakkal district police have placed a banner at the entrance of the shrine atop the hillock conveying the ban on ‘girivalam’. Action as per law would be initiated against those who take out ‘girivalam’, the police directive further says.
The banner was placed in the aftermath of the accidental fall of the devotee, an auto driver, who had slipped and hurtled down to his death.
Fencing has been done as a safety measure to prevent any such incidents. The measure is aimed at thwarting devotees from taking out ‘girivalam’ risking their life, says 65-year-old T. Nandhagopan, temple trustee.
The ‘Thalaimalai Sanjeeviraya Perumal’ temple situated at an altitude of about 2,800 feet in Vadavathur panchayat in Namakkal district was built during the Thirumalai Naicker period. There are five paths to reach the hillock temple from the base. The temple attracts more devotees on Saturdays during the Tamil month ‘Purattasi’, besides ‘Amavasai’ and ‘Chitra Pournami’, says Mr. Nandhagopan.
This is the first time that a devotee had slipped and fallen from the hillock temple while circumambulating the shrine, he claimed.
The body of the victim, T. Arumugam, who fell from the hill top temple on October 14, was recovered with multiple injuries after several hours of arduous search the next day.
