Minister for Public Works and Highways E.V. Velu on Sunday said that the State government cannot ban the operation of non-vegetarian hotels along the 14-km-long Girivalam path at Arunachaleswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai town.
The State government cannot interfere on what kind of food can be consumed by visitors to the temple town because it is the personal choice of an individual. Instead, he said that the owners of non-vegetarian hotels on the path should voluntarily close the outlets on the path and restrict their business in the main areas of the town.
“The choice of food is the preference of an individual. No one can interfere with it. At present, such non-vegetarian hotels on the path close their outlets during Pournami days, twice a month,” Mr. Velu said.
The Minister was responding to Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi views that considering the sanctity of the place, the Girivalam path should be dotted only with vegetarian restaurants.
“The district administration is holding talks with banks in the town to maintain parks of Tiruvannamalai municipality in the town. Each bank can adopt one park in the town,” the Minister said.
Along with Deputy Speaker K. Pitchandi and C.N. Annadurai, MP (Tiruvannamalai), Mr. Velu inspected the ongoing rejuvenation work of the 80-year-old Ayyankulam or Ayyan Theerthavari Kulam, which is maintained by the municipality. The tank remained closed after four persons drowned in it when a stampede broke out as hundreds of devotees jostled to take a holy dip on the auspicious occasion of Mahodaya Amavasya in February 2016.
Rejuvenation of the tank was taken up a month ago. Spread over three acres near the temple premises, water in the Ayyankulam covers around 300 ft in distance with 32 granite stairs on each of its four sides. Municipal officials said that the silt deposit in the tank will be at least to a depth of 15 ft. Work on removing the silt from the tank is underway. The tank will be deepened to the depth of the existing recharge well, which is located at the centre of the tank, to assess the actual depth of the waterbody.
As per records, the tank has been in existence since 1860. The last rejuvenation of the tank was done nearly 80 years ago when a group of residents from Puducherry cleaned the tank.
