Siva Sekaran By Express News Service CHENNAI: Rainwater is the best source to immerse the idol of Sri Aththi Varadar in the tank attached to Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple in Kancheepuram, the Madras High Court has opined. Justice P D Audikesavalu, who aired the opinion, also hoped that once the idol is placed in the ‘Anantha Saras’, copious rain would follow. The judge expressed his opinions when writ petition from K Asokan of West Mambalam, praying for a direction to the authorities concerned to consider his representation, dated July 25 to clean the temple tank, came up for hearing on Wednesday. According to the petitioner, owing to climate change and various other anthropocentric reasons, the temple tanks in various other places had become unusable. The district administrations and officials of the Pollution Control Board had found the tanks uninhabitable for aquatic life. Based on research, the authorities had zeroed in on bio-remediation to clean the tanks. The same treatment is required for the tank in Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kancheepuram. The ‘Anantha Saras’, where the idol of Aththi Varadar is going to be immersed for the next 40 years on August 17, is also uninhabitable, the petitioner claimed. Counsel for the Archaeology department submitted that the tank had been desilted. But the debris is yet to be removed. Counsel for Pollution Control Board told the judge that the testing of the water to be filled in the tank was under progress. What is the use of filing the report on August 19 when the idol is scheduled to be immersed on August 17, the judge asked and told the counsel to file it by August 16 afternoon. A representative from Anna University submitted that Cauvery water can be used for filling the tank after cleansing it. Borwell water or the water in Golden Tamarai tank can also be used, the HR&CE submitted. When the government counsel wondered what to do if it rains after the lake is filled with water from other sources, the judge said, “Is there any thing more pure than rain water? If it rained, that would be the best and most suitable water to fill the tank. Legend says copious rain would follow once the idol is immersed.” Plea to extend darshan dismissed The Madras High Court has dismissed as withdrawn, a writ petition, praying for a direction to extend the darshan period of Aththi Varadar by 10 more days. When the petition came up for hearing today, Justice P D Audikesavalu told the petitioner that a writ will not lie with the prayer. When the judge advised him to withdraw the petition or otherwise, he will impose cost on him, the petitioner preferred to withdraw the writ petition. The judge, however, granted liberty to the petitioner to file a PIL petition.

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