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THANJAVUR: Residents of Irumbuthalai hamlet near Papanasam has chosen structure relocation technology to save their village temple from a possible demolition in future in case if road expansion project to be taken up by the concerned authorities.
It all began with the villagers forming a committee to renovate the five decades old Sri Mariamman temple located very close to the carriageway of the Papanasam-Saliyamangalam Road at Irumbuthalai and to perform the consecration.
During the planning discussion some of the villagers pointed out that off late the Papanasam-Saliyamangalam Road has become an alternative route to commute between Thanjavur and Kumbakonam since the Papanasam-Rajagiri-Ayyampettai-Thanjavur route witness heavy flow of vehicles and also has sharp bends and blind turns.
Thus, motorists particularly tourist cab operators prefer Papanasam-Saliyamangalam route to commute between Thanjavur and Kumbakonam they claimed and expressed apprehension that axe may fall on the temple in case if the government agencies took up road expansion project on this stretch in near future.
Subsequently, it was decided to relocate the sanctum sanctorums of Sri Mariamman and Sri Bhathrakaliamman in the temple precincts to about 21 feet away from the existing site since relocation of the structures would be economical in stead to demolish and raise them at a different place, according to V.Balaji, village panchayat president.
Lifting and relocation of Sri Mariamman shrine which commenced three days ago was expected to get completed in about a week and then the relocation of Sri Bhathrakaliamman shrine would be taken up. A private engineering company from Uttar Pradesh has come forward to take up this work by charging Rs.4 lakhs as fees, he said.
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