Villagers in Kallakurichi have seized a tractor that was allegedly used to steal old iron rods and wooden items from the Thirunavalur temple. What shocked the villagers even more was that the tractor, which was reportedly transporting the temple’s property, had been hired by officials from the HR&CE department to sell the items as scrap.
This disturbing incident occurred at the Thirunavalur Sri Bhaktajaneswarar Temple, which had recently held its Kumbabhishekam on 21 November near Ulundurpet in Kallakurichi district. During renovations at the temple, iron and wooden items were stored in a room. However, on the morning of 16 December 2024, HR&CE department officials allegedly loaded these items onto a tractor in the early morning. They took them to an old scrap iron shop near Pu Mambakkam in the Ulundurpettai area.
The items were being loaded onto the tractor for the second time, which raised suspicions. Upon learning of this, Kallakurichi residents gathered around noon, seized the tractor, and questioned where the items were being taken. What the HR&CE officials revealed was a shock to the villagers. The officers stated that they had decided to sell the materials as scrap to fund the salaries of executive officers at another temple. When the villagers demanded to know whose orders they were following, the officers blamed higher officials but failed to provide any concrete answers.
Explaining the issue, one villager remarked, “The recent events at the Sri Bhaktajaneswarar Shiva Temple in Thirunavalur union, Kallakurichi district, an example how poorly the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments is operating in Tamil Nadu. Only recently the Kumbabhishekam ceremony completed and after the Kumbabhishekam, they took all the old items such as iron and wooden items from the temple, loaded them onto a tractor, and transported them to an iron (scrap) shop in Ulundurpet. After unloading about 20 tons, they came back again to take more items from the temple. When the villagers confronted them, they asked where the temple property was being taken. The officer responded that the items were being taken to a shop in Ulundurpet. When asked why, she claimed the Executive Officer (EO) ordered it. When the EO was questioned, she evaded and said the Joint Commissioner (JC) had ordered. The villagers then contacted the HR&CE Joint Commissioner via conference call, and he denied the claim, saying, ‘It’s not like that… I will speak in person.’ When asked why the items were taken, the EO woman said they were unloading everything there. The villagers then asked, ‘Why are you unloading them now? Where did you take them?’ She replied that the materials were needed to pay the salaries of workers at the Parikkal temple.”
ஆலய பொருளை, ஆட்டைய போட்ட அறநிலையத்துறை அதிகாரி..!!
காயலாங்கடையில் போடப்பட்ட ஐம்பொன் பழமை வாய்ந்த பொருட்களை கண்டுபிடித்த பொதுமக்கள் மற்றும் இந்து முன்னணியினர்…#கள்ளக்குறிச்சி #திருநாவலூர் #ஸ்ரீபக்தஜனேஸ்வரர்திருக்கோயில் #கோயில்பொருட்கள் #திருட்டு pic.twitter.com/xsNt9YHYiG
— Hindu Munnani (@hindumunnani_tn) December 16, 2024
A complaint has been filed with the Thirunavalur police against the Executive Officer of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, his assistant Lokesh, and the tractor owner, Ayyappan, for allegedly taking the temple’s old iron and wooden items. The police are currently investigating the matter.
(With Inputs From Dinamalar)
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