ASI and HR&CE Department officials inspect Big Temple

A team of officials from the Archaeological Survey of India and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department officials inspected the ‘Ashtathigh Balagar Sannadhis’ at Sri Brahadeeswarar temple, Thanjavur, on Thursday.

According to sources, the inspection was sequel to a direction from the Madras High Court bench, comprising Justice C.V. Karthikeyan and Justice R. Sakthivel, instructing the ASI and HR&CE officials to inspect the ‘Ashtathigh Balagar Sannadhis’ at Sri Brahadeeswarar temple, popularly known as Big Temple, Thanjavur and present a report.

The Bench gave this direction after hearing a public interest litigation filed by Kaliyamurthy of Thanjavur in 2019 pleading for a direction to the ASI from the Court for replacing some of the ‘Ashtathigh Balagar’ statues which remain damaged and install new statues at the empty Sannadhis.

The team led by ASI Tiruchi Region Superintendent, Aravazhi and the HR&CE Joint Commissioner, Tiruchi Region, Gnanasekar, inspected the ‘Sannadhis’ along with the Tanjore Prince and Hereditary Trustee of Tanjore Palace Devasthanam, Babaji Rajah Bhonsle Chattrapathi on July 23.