Senior BJP leader and convener of the Co-ordination Committee, H Raja has accused the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department of violating both temple agamas and a court undertaking by proceeding with unauthorized construction work at the historic Arulmigu Sri Devarajaswamy Temple in Kanchipuram.
In a statement, Raja said the HR&CE Department, represented by the temple’s Executive Trustee, has begun constructing a ramp from the Kachi Vaithan Prakaram to the outer prakaram of the temple, cutting across sacred prakarams. He alleged that the work involves altering the traditional vasal (entrance) of the temple and using windows surrounded by Vijayanagara-period murals to pave the ramp’s route, thereby damaging heritage flooring and structures of archaeological significance.
Raja claimed that the construction not only violates the agamas governing temple architecture but also breaches an undertaking given by the HR&CE Department before the Madras High Court in W.P. No. 22177 of 2025. The department had assured the court that no harm would be caused to any heritage structure, sannadhi, deity, or mural during renovation or accessibility works.
Calling the ongoing ramp construction “unnecessary” and “a clear act of contempt,” Raja urged authorities to halt the project immediately and preserve the temple’s sanctity and historical value.
The HR & CE Department, represented by the Executive Trustee of Arulmigu Sri Devarajaswamy Kanchipuram, is destroying the heritage value of the temple and violating the agamas by constructing a ramp from the kachi vaithan prakaram to the outer prakaram of the temple, over the… pic.twitter.com/lbSvRStUNF
— H Raja (@HRajaBJP) November 6, 2025
Heartbreaking & Contempt of court
The ramp from the Kachivaithan Prakaram to the outer prakaram, cutting through sacred prakarams, altering the traditional vasal, destroying Vijayanagara period mural surrounded windows & heritage flooring is unnecessary
This directly… https://t.co/HPRWxOPvw7 pic.twitter.com/gY52Gwtkm7
— Tinku Venkatesh | ಟಿಂಕು ವೆಂಕಟೇಶ್ (@tweets_tinku) November 6, 2025
This news comes amid allegations that the iconic gold and silver lizard (palli) idols have gone missing during renovation work at the Varadharaja Perumal Temple in Kanchipuram.
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