The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has accused Kerala officials of raking up an ‘unnecessary controversy’ over the Mangaladevi temple located inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
In a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, TDB president A. Padmakumar alleged that the ‘negative’ approach of the Idukki Collector and other officials towards the Mangaladevi temple would only harm the interests of the State.
Mr. Padmakumar said the temple belonged to Kerala. But the TDB request to distribute food and water to those who visited the temple during the Chitra-Pournami festival on April 30 was turned down by the Collector. The Tamil Nadu government and the Theni Collector had taken steps to supply food and water to the Tamil devotees, he said.
Though the Collectors of Idukki and Theni had convened a joint official meeting to review the arrangements for this year’s Chitrapournami festival, the TDB was not even informed of such a meeting, Mr. Padmakumar said.
Available records, dating back to 11th Century, show that the Mangaladevi temple was handed over to the erstwhile Travancore royal kingdom by the Poonjar Kovilakom in Idukki.
The TDB chief said the board has been performing the tantric rituals at the temple during the annual Chitrapournami festival organised jointly by the Idukki and Theni Collectors. He said the Kerala government had declared the Mangaladevi temple a protected monument under the Kerala Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1968 (26 of 1969).
Disposing of a writ petition, the Kerala High Court had directed the Archaeology Department to renovate the temple. The Directorate of State Archaeology (Kerala) and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests were also entrusted with the task of providing the necessary support for the temple renovation work, he said.
The TDB president said though the State Archaeology Department had prepared a master plan and set apart ₹60 lakh for the temple renovation work, the project had failed to take off as it required special clearance from the National Green Tribunal.
