L.ASOKAN Vs. CHIEF SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The renowned Idol of the Deity, Sri Athi Varadar, carved from the sacred fig tree, is held in great reverence throughout the world, and lies immersed in the Temple Tank, viz., Anantha Saras Thirukulam (hereinafter referred to as 'the Thirukulam' for brevity and convenience) in Arulmighu Sri Devarajaswamy Devasthanam (hereinafter referred to as 'the Temple' for brevity and convenience) in the Temple Town of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. In Article 49 of Part IV in the Constitution of India, 1950, dealing with the Directive Principles of the State Policy, it has been envisaged as follows:-

(2.) On 29.06.2019, after 40 years, the water and existing aquatic creatures in the Thirukulam was transferred to another tank, viz., Potramarai Kulam, in the Temple premises and the Idol of the Deity emerged from the Thirukulam for worship at the Vasantha Mandapam in the Temple premises for a period of 48 days from 01.07.2019 to 17.08.2019, when a record number of more than one crore of devotees visited the Temple for that rare opportunity in their lifetime.

(3.) At that time, the Petitioner in W.P. No. 22723 of 2019, as Devotee, filed that Writ Petition on 29.07.2019 seeking direction to the Respondents to consider his representation dated 25.07.2019 to clean, de-silt, deepen and renovate the Thirukulam of the Temple within a time period. Since the Idol of the Deity had to return to the Thirukulam by the dawn of 18.08.2019, having regard to that paucity of time, the Temple Administration and the concerned authorities expedited action in the matter and had submitted periodical reports in that regard, during the hearings on 05.08.2019, 09.08.2019, 14.08.2019 and 16.08.2019, which indicates that the Thirukulam has been cleaned without making any changes to its natural framework, and that the debris and unwanted materials like bottles, plastic wastes, sand bags and other sediments have been removed.