On 19 November 2024, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) demolished the mandapam of the Sri Silambathamman temple located in Janappanchatram along the Chennai-Kolkata National Highway to facilitate the construction of a continuous service lane over a 64-meter stretch. A significant portion of the temple had been built on land owned by the Highways Department.
According to NHAI officials, “While we initially required 14 meters of land for a 24-meter stretch, we have only taken 6 meters for the service lane. The original plan included a bus bay at the site, but that has now been relocated. We have also provided ₹29 lakh as compensation for the structure that was removed. We made sure that the sanctum sanctorum was not affected in any way.”
Local residents had been advocating for alternative land within the village limits to relocate the temple and move the idol. A devotee commented, “The temple is especially popular among travelers, particularly truck drivers, who stop to pray before their journeys. We need access to the temple directly from the main carriageway.”
The demolition had been delayed for some time due to the unavailability of sufficient land. “Agama experts advised that the new temple should be larger than the current one, which occupies 13 cents of land, but now there’s no choice but to shift to a smaller plot,” another devotee noted.
M. Bhaskaran, former president of the Azhinjivakkam Panchayat, explained that while the current temple structure isn’t particularly old, the deity, Silambathamman, has been worshipped for generations. He emphasized that the village has deep emotional ties to the goddess, describing her as their ‘ellai deivam’ (guardian deity).
A local resident also noted that the land where the temple stands is registered as temple poromboke (common land designated for temple use) in the name of the Arulmigu Silambathamman temple, rather than in the name of the goddess, as is customary with other temples.
The operation was carried out with support from the Tiruvallur district administration, with around 150 policemen deployed at the site. Revenue department officials were involved in marking the land for the relocation.
(With inputs from The Hindu)
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