On 27 January 2025, more than a hundred residents from Solankuruni village near Madurai submitted a petition to District Collector M. Sangeetha, seeking permission to use the traditional path to access the Pothirajan Valliyammai temple. This path is currently blocked by a private institution under the direction of a Muslim man named Ismail, who is allegedly the manager of the institution.
The petition explained that the village has a long-standing tradition of visiting the ancient Pothirajan Kaliammai temple using the Solankuruni Koodakovil market path. This route has been used by villagers for generations, and it is customary to perform a consecration ceremony every five years, with the entire community participating in the temple festival.
The situation changed in 2006 when a private company purchased the land surrounding the path. While the previous manager had respected the villagers’ rights to use the route, the new manager allegedly a Muslim man named Ismail erected a fence and blocked the access. The police have reportedly filed a case against those who raised concerns about this blockage.
The villagers have appealed to the District Collector to take appropriate action, either by allowing them to continue using the traditional path to the temple or by creating an alternative route for worship. They have also requested the dismissal of the police case.
கோயிலுக்கு செல்லும் பாதையை பயன்படுத்தக்கூடாதென மிரட்டுவதாக புகார் | தனியார் நிறுவன ஊழியர் இஸ்மாயில் மீது கிராம மக்கள் குற்றச்சாட்டு #Madurai | #HinduTemple | #TamilJanam pic.twitter.com/umH2CQ4MGP
— Tamil Janam (@TamilJanamNews) January 27, 2025
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