The Madurai Bench of the Madras Excessive Courtroom on Wednesday ordered establishment to be maintained whereas listening to a public curiosity litigation petition that complained that within the identify of renovation works, the authorities have been damaging rock-cut sculptures, idols and heritage buildings on the Essential Falls at Courtallam in Tenkasi district.

A Division Bench of Justices P. Velmurugan and C. Kumarappan directed the State to file a standing report back to the petition filed by Rama. Ravikumar of Madurai district. The courtroom posted the matter for listening to to Might 7.

The petitioner stated he was a devotee of Kutralanathar Swamy temple. The primary theertham of the temple was the Kutralam falls. There are a number of historic rock-cut sculptures and stone idols that are worshipped by the devotees. The event actions carried out through the years had turned the falls right into a vacationer attraction.

He stated throughout his go to to the place on Might 1 and a couple of, he discovered a number of rock-cut sculptures broken because the works have been carried out by the employees with none archaeological experience or supervision, beneath the guise of renovation and growth works.

The destruction and removing of such idols not solely offend the non secular sentiments but in addition represent punishable offences. The sculptures kind an integral a part of the non secular practices connected to the temple, he stated.

The act of damaging the rock-cut deities with none authority or non secular process quantities to infringing upon the non secular rights of the devotees and violating the statutory protections governing historic monuments and antiquities, he stated.

The petitioner sought a route to the authorities to take needed motion towards these liable for the harm, destruction and removing of the traditional rock-cut sculptures, idols and heritage buildings at Essential Falls at Courtallam. He additionally sought a route to the authorities to make sure the safety and the preservation of the idols and heritage buildings and to revive and reinstall the idols.