In a significant verdict, the Madras High Court passed an order stopping the demolition of Gangai Kondaan Mandapam situated in Arulmigu Periya Nayagi Amman Thiru Kovil at Tiruvannamalai District in Tamil Nadu.
The Highways Department of the state government had planned to expand the highways, which required the demolition of the Mandapam.
The bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy ordered the Tamil Nadu Government to redraw the route plan of the highways or purchase the land from the temple so that it does not disturb the Mandapam.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the court by one T Srinivasan, fearing demolition of the Gangai Kondaan Mandapam situated in the 14th-century temple for laying a road.
In his plea, Srinivasan submitted that the Mandapam has been in existence since time immemorial and is otherwise a temple property. He further argued that since it is not an encroachment, the authorities cannot demolish the mandapam to widen the road.
The Special Government Pleader for the state of Tamil Nadu informed the court that the administration had taken the decision to demolish a part of the Mandapam to widen the road but quickly realised that it was no encroachment. The administration also realised that the Mandapam was on the temple land, which has belonged to the temple for years. Thereafter, the administration decided not to go ahead with the demolition and redraw the plan for widening the road.
The counsel for the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department (HRCED) of the Tamil Nadu government also informed the court that Mandapam was constructed long back on the temple property and is no encroachment. He submitted in the court that the Mandapam could not be demolished as per the law, and an alternate plan will need to be drawn to widen the road.
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