New Delhi: The Supreme Court has asked the Madras high court to consider and pass appropriate orders on the request of Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, Srirangam, for carrying out certain repairs in the context of not only the statutory provisions but also the propriety of the need for carrying out repairs and renovations.
A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and L. Nageswara Rao passed this order while declining to interfere with an interim order of the high court rejecting the permission to carry out repairs.
The Madras high court has initiated suo motu proceedings on the basis of a newspaper report in connection with the repair and renovation works being carried out by the temple in Srirangam and various other temples across Tamil Nadu.
The high court in these proceedings has passed orders staying the repair and renovation works on the apprehension that this would cause damage and destruction to historical and archaeological heritage comprised in these temples.
The temple challenging it in the apex court by way of a special leave petition.
Appearing for the temple, senior counsel Gopal Subramanium and counsel Vipin Nair and P.B. Suresh submitted that as a result of the stay order, temple worship in the state of Tamil Nadu had come to a virtual halt. It was further argued that a ‘living temple’ cannot be treated as a ‘monument’ and that the repair and renovation works were being strictly carried out in accordance with the Hindu religious prescriptions followed by the temples, being the Agamas and the Shilpa Shastra. They also handed over a list of changes being made in the temples to the court and some photographs.
The Bench was not inclined to interfere in the matter as the proceedings before the high court are still pending. The Bench however granted liberty to the petitioner to approach the high court for carrying out certain repairs and renovations in the temple premises and requested the high court to examine the prayer in the context of not only the statutory provisions if any applicable to the situation but also the propriety of the need for carrying out the repairs and renovations as indicated by petitioners.
