The crack that was recently noticed in the eastern tower of Sri Arunachaleswarar temple at Tiruvannamalai was not new and according to an expert from the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, it can be rectified, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister Sevvoor S. Ramachandran informed the Assembly on Monday.
DMK legislator E.V. Velu (Tiruvannamalai) raised the issue in the House and said that the temple was attracting several hundreds of tourists and the government should take steps to rectify the crack .
Replying to the DMK legislator, Mr. Ramachandran said that assistant professor Arun Menon from IIT-Madras had visited the temple on July 27 and said that the crack was not new and could be rectified using stainless steel. The government was taking steps to rectify the crack, the Minister said.
Mr. Velu said that the temple, which was part of the Vijayanagara Empire ruled by King Krishnadevaraya, was spread over 25 acres and the eastern tower, in which the crack has been noticed, was about 217 feet tall. “Since arrangements are being made towards the consecration, the government must take steps to rectify the crack,” Mr. Velu said.
