Encroachments in front of Gangaikondacholapuram temple raises concern among conservationists

The mushrooming of platform shops and vendors in front of the famous Brihadisvara Temple, a world heritage monument, at Gangaikondacholapuram in Ariyalur district have raised concern among conservationists.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which maintains the protected monument, has sought the intervention of the district administration to clear the shops. The Brihadisvara Temple is listed as one of the three Great Living Chola Temples by UNESCO.

Several platform shops, selling a variety of items including food items and toys, have cropped up in front of the temple on the Gangaikondacholapuram-Mettupalayam Road, obstructing vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

“Previously the vendors used to set shop only during festivals. But as the temple is now attracting a continuous stream of tourists and devotees, after the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the shops have become a permanent feature,” said R. Komagan, founder chairman, Gangaikondacholapuram Development Council Trust.

Pointing to the encroachments within the protected area of the monument, Mr. Komagan said the shops were obstructing movement of visitors to the temples and their vehicles going to and from the area used as parking lot now in front of the temple. Besides, it was the access road to Mettupalayam and other hamlets and residents of these places were facing hardship in their commute and transporting agricultural produce due to the encroachments.

Emphasising the need to clear the shops immediately, Mr. Komagan expressed apprehension that it would become impossible to remove them if they became permanent structures later on. The emergence of the shops also caused indiscriminate littering of the surroundings and pollution of the temple ‘thirukulam’ situated close by, he added.

ASI writes to Collector

When contacted, an official of the ASI said that they had taken up the matter with the district administration already and hoped expeditious action will be taken.

In letters addressed to the District Collector, officials of the ASI, Tiruchi Circle, have pointed out that the temple was a protected monument and shops and the parking areas fell under the prohibited area of the monument. Most of them were close to the fence around the temple and were obstructing movement of vehicles.

The shops had been set up without any permission and they obstructed the view of the monument, besides causing congestion in the area, the ASI had said while requesting the Collector to remove the shops.

Besides, a significant problem of litter had arisen as some of the vendors sell eatables in disposable plastic bags, containers and bottles, which are often carelessly discarded affecting the cleanliness around the temple, it was pointed out.