Temple on encroached railway land removed in Tiruchy

Sources said there was tension as a few locals, who were joined by auto drivers, opposed the demolishing of the Sri Karumariamman temple. A large contingent of police personnel were deployed to prevent any untoward incidents. The clearing work, which commenced around 7 am and took around two hours, was monitored by senior railway and revenue department officials.

As many as 13 idols housed in the temple, believed to be more than 30 years old, were safely removed and handed over to the local tahsildar.

Sources said the temple was constructed without getting any permission from the railways. Hence, a notice was issued to the temple priests to vacate the premises. “However, the temple priest and locals refused to comply with the direction. So, we cleared the structure and handed over the 13 idols housed inside the temple to the Revenue Department,” a railway official said.

When contacted, the temple priest, on condition of anonymity, claimed that he and other residents have been requesting the railways to identify and allot an alternative site. “They declined our request by stating that the temple was an unauthorised structure,” he said.

Meanwhile, the officials said that the Varasiddhi Vinayaka temple, which was in front of the Karumariamman temple, would not be demolished as it was constructed with due permission.