Poor upkeep leads to degeneration of pond

Tirupparankundram waterbody is used as an open defecation ground

Garbage dumped in Saravana Poigai at Tirupparankundram in Madurai.

For thousands of devotees visiting Tirupparankundram’s Subramaniaswamy Temple, the trip is incomplete without a dip in Saravana Poigai, the temple pond. This natural waterbody now faces the threat of poor maintenance and upkeep. It is common to find children, women and men swimming in filthy water as plastic accumulates along the edges of the pond, making it unhygienic.

Swaminatha Bhattar, one of the four head priests at the temple, says that each of the six abodes of Murugan has a ‘Saravana Poigai.’ According to a popular legend, Lord Siva created Lord Murugan from his third eye. Lord Murugan took the shape of six lotuses that bloom during the Tamil month of Karthigai.

 

“It is believed to be the birthplace of the presiding deity,” he says. Many people tonsure their heads nearby and take bath at the pond before visiting the temple. Though the pond holds high religious value, it is used as an open defecation ground, according to residents.

Munusu Senthil, a resident, says he and a few others have repeatedly questioned temple authorities about the upkeep but have not elicited a response. “We tried talking to them about clearing the bushes, fixing the rails and bathrooms near the pond but the authorities have not taken up any work,” he says.

Mr. Senthil claims that his family has been living in Tirupparankundram for about eight generations now. The pond has degraded and diminished to a sorry state now, he says.

“Two days of rain was enough to fill the tank earlier. The gusty winds and fresh showers would wash away the dirty water and replenish the temple tank. The rainy days have reduced and so has the water quality,” he added.

The pond is not considered to be very deep. At its steepest, it is about 20 feet, say temple authorities. As the tank has not been desilted since 2003, the pond is shallow and accessible to people. There is no safe space for women to change their clothes after a bath in the pond, says J. Kaleeswari, a local flower seller.

She says that in the early hours of the day, it is common to spot many people defecating and urinating in public. “The temple has locked its bathrooms and toilets. This has proved to be a major inconvenience,” he says. Mr. Senthil says that the high-mast lamp located in the pond has not been functioning for nearly five years. The sodium lamps are also not reliable, he adds.

A senior official from temple administration says that residents who live near the pond often take to washing clothes, causing pollution.

Corporation Commissioner S. Aneesh Sekhar says that land owned by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department has been identified for creating a separate washing ghat. The will prevent pollution of the pond, he says.

Two individuals have been engaged on contract basis to clean the pond. A temple official warns that stringent action will be taken against those polluting the pond. However, he justifies the action of to locking bathrooms. “On the second day after inauguration of the bathroom, people stole the bulb. They also broke some window panes,” he says. He adds that he will look into the matter of women’s safety after consulting with other officials.