Thrissur: Defying the Supreme Court order to allow the smooth movement of devotees and conduct the rituals with ease during the annual temple festival, the Guruvayur Devaswom Managing Committee has started constructing a 'Kalavara' (store room) on the south-west part of Lord Sree Krishna Temple by laying a foundation with granite rocks and erecting concrete pillars.
The High Court in 2003 had ordered the GDMC to acquire as many as 100 metres of space on four sides of the outer temple wall (chuttambalam) in 15 months and keep it fully vacant considering the security aspects of the temple along with the safety and convenience of the thousands of devotees visiting the temple.
Mr K.G. Sukumaran Master, who had impleaded in the suit in the SC after the state government , GDMC, NSS and Narayanalayam filed an appeal in the apex court over the HCorder, said that in 2004 the court had refused to stay the HC order and ordered immediate acquisition of 25 metres in two months and 100 metres in 15 months.
"But, only 25 meters of space has been acquired till now except on the southern side," he noted.
He said that the semi-permanent structure which is now being constructed by the Guruvayur Devaswom was a gross violation of the SC order and that the Guruvayur municipality had not given any sanction for the structure.
Guruvayur Devaswom officials are of the opinion that it was only a temporary structure and that the concrete pillars would be erected on nuts and bolts which could be easily dismantled."Laying the foundation with granite rocks and erecting concrete pillars could not be termed as a temporary structure. Guruvayur Devaswom civil work engineers have said that they do not need any permission from the civic body. The structure will add to the rush of devotees during festival and special days in this area," Mr Venugopal Pazhur of devotees' organisation, Prathikarana Vedi, said.
