The precincts of the Sri Sabanayagar Temple, popularly known as Sri Natarajar Temple in Chidambaram in Cuddalore district witnessed stagnation of rain water to a depth of four feet on Friday, following heavy rains that pounded Chidambaram and its suburban areas. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple and the outer praharams were also water logged.
This is the first time in 43 years that the temple has witnessed such a situation of marooning of the shrine, according to Baskar Dikshithar, former secretary of the Pothu Dikshithars Association, the hereditary custodians-cum-archakas of the temple.
“Normally, when flood water flows inside the precincts of the temple it automatically drains out to the nearby Sivagangai tank and from there the flood water would flow into the tank of Thillai Amman temple,” he explained. “But because of the blockade of the tunnel that would carry flood water to the Thillai Amman temple tank, the flow of water from the shrine of Lord Nataraja was choked,” he added.
A temple priest said that the Chidambaram municipality had promised that steps would be taken to unclog the blocks so that the flood water could flow into the tank in the Thillai Amman temple.
Chidambaram recorded 34 cm rainfall during the last 24 hours throwing normal life out of gear. Water logging was reported from different parts of the town.
Meanwhile, a flood alert has been issued to people of 23 villages residing on the banks of the Lower Paravanar River in Kullanchavadi in the district after the Perumal tank recorded surplus flows due to torrential rains in the catchment areas on Friday.
The water level in the Perumal Eri reached its maximum of 524 mcft, prompting the Public Works Department (PWD) authorities to discharge about 12, 000 cusecs on Friday morning. Consequently, Revenue Department officials issued a flood alert and advised people living on the banks of the Lower Paravanar River to move to safe places.
