No Hi-Rises to Block View of Meenakshi Temple

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MADURAI, India (May 16, 2004) - The towers of the Meenakshi Temple in

Madurai will now be visible from a distance. The temple heads have

made sure that no high-rise buildings block this magnificent view.

 

Although heritage city rules ban buildings beyond nine metres high,

within a radius of one kilometre around this temple, almost a thousand

buildings in Madurai have violated this. Many are as tall as twenty

five metres. And for the first time temple heads have come out

strongly against these violations.

 

"Whenever we want to have a darshan of the gopuram of Meenakshi

temple, we are unable to do so. So the buildings blocking the view

should be demolished," said H H Arunagiri Paramaacharyar, Madurai

Aadheenam.

 

While many blame it on the officials for conniving with the violators

and failing to stop these constructions at the initial stage itself,

the corporation says it will launch a major demolition operation soon.

 

"They will have to be pulled down which we had started little earlier

but we had to discontinue because of other work. But now we would be

resuming the work. The buildings which have violated the rules, will

be pulled down," says A Karthik, Corporation Commissioner.

 

And local groups want concrete steps to be taken to protect the few

places from where the beauty and majesty of these towers can be still

viewed now.

 

"We can pick up these kind of avenues and try to bring in some sort of

height restriction along these avenues and also some sort of colour

codes or facade codes which will enhance the tourism importance of

this heritage city," says N Ramalingam Indian Institute of Architects.

 

It is increasingly becoming difficult to have a clear look at the

heritage towers of the temple. Unless the restrictions are strictly

enforced soon people may have to come to their rooftops to have a look

at these towers.

 

Source: New Delhi Television Ltd. (NDTV Ltd.), "Temple Towers: A view

from the top," by Sam Daniel

URL:

http://www.ndtv.com/features/showfeatures.asp?slug=Temple+Towers%3A+A+view+from+\

the+top&Id=709