Starting Wednesday, residents’ associations and groups of individuals in each locality will be permitted to clean the premises of temples and preserve heritage in the locality.
Many residents have been complaining that they were denied permission by executive officers of temples to clean the premises. Following a judgment by a Division Bench of the Madras High Court, comprising Justice R.Mahadevan and Justice P.D.Audikesavalu on Tuesday, with regard to people’s participation in maintaining the temples, residents will start cleaning the premises with permission from the joint commissioners of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department.
The High Court has issued detailed guidelines and elaborated upon the role of people, with regard to carrying out the Uzhavara panigal in the temples, and the HR and CE Department, following a petition filed by an advocate and a West Mambalam resident M.Karthikeyan.
According to the judgment, people can now approach the jurisdictional Joint Commissioner and submit a representation for carrying out Uzhavara pani in the temple and the official has been directed to consider the request within seven days and pass orders either allowing or rejecting the request.
The residents can clean the temple premises, ponds, remove the overgrown vegetation and paint the gates. The residents are not allowed to engage in renovation or refurbishment of the temple. However, the devotees engaged in the work cannot claim any right over the temple. The HR and CE Department should also take necessary steps to maintain the temple and carry out periodic inspection of the structure and immediately in consultation, with the experts, carry out necessary repairs.
The High Court has formulated the guidelines for the benefit of both the residents and the temple, wherein residents can now approach the Joint Commissioner for carrying out Uzhavara pani and temples get to be maintained thus ensuring the preservation of heritage structures for centuries to come.
Velachery resident S.Kumararaja said many people who were denied permission by the temple executive officers will now be able to clean the temple and improve public health on the premises. “We welcome the order of the High Court. There is accumulation of huge quantities of waste at the temples. Temple ponds should also be cleaned frequently to prevent communicable diseases from spreading in our localities,” he said.
Anna Nagar DMK councillor T.V.Shemmozhi said a few temples in the area require periodic cleaning as shortage in manpower hampers upkeep of temple premises. Local bodies, such as Chennai Corporation, have also not been able to sensitise those engaged in cleaning work.
