A general curfew was imposed in the temple town of Mamallapuram, late on Monday night, under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The move was aimed at preventing residents from taking out a procession and performing a pooja at Shore Temple on Tuesday.
A call for performing the pooja inside Shore Temple on Tuesday was made by residents and traders of Mamallapuram who have been protesting the move by Archaeological Survey of India to notify Sthalasayana Perumal Temple in the town as a protected monument.
People of Mamallapuram, under the umbrella of an organisation called Mamallapuram People’s Livelihood Restoration Committee, have been staging a series of protests, ever since ASI announced its proposal to take over the Sthalasayana Perumal Temple and announce it as protected monument.
The Committee had called upon the people to take part in a procession up to Shore Temple and subsequently perform a pooja inside the shrine on Tuesday. To prevent this, the Kancheepuram District Police imposed the curfew late on Monday night.
Roads leading to the Shore Temple were cut off and barricades were placed to prevent people from getting anywhere close to the Shore Temple. There was a large presence of police personnel.
On Tuesday morning, Mamallapuram residents, led by the Committee’s office-bearers, took part in a procession that began at Mamallapuram Town Panchayat office, but ended at Sthalasayana Perumal Temple. They offered prayers there and dispersed.
No untoward incident took place and no arrest, including preventive arrest as a pre-cautionary measure was made, police sources said.
