HR and CE Dept. advised to restrict darshan timings at Marudhamalai and Anuvavi temples in Coimbatore due to elephant movement

A day after a 28-year-old man was trampled to death by a wild elephant at the Marudhamalai foothills, the Forest Department on Wednesday wrote to the the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department to change the timings of visitors to the famed Lord Subramanya temples at Marudhamalai and Anuvavi near Periya Thadagam in Coimbatore district.

A day after a 28-year-old man was trampled to death by a wild elephant at the Marudhamalai foothills, the Forest Department on Wednesday wrote to the the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department to change the darshan timings of the famed Lord Subramanya temples at Marudhamalai and Anuvavi near Periya Thadagam in Coimbatore district.

In a letter sent to the Executive Officer of the Subramaniaswamy Temple at Marudhamalai, the Forest Department advised the temple administration to allow devotees only between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Forest Department further advised the temple administration to prohibit devotees using the steps to the temple through the forest, if possible. The Department also appealed to the temple administration to forbid devotees from riding motorcycles on the road, which also cuts through the forest, and use HR&CE Department vehicles for transportation, if possible.  

The Forest Department sought the HR&CE Department to change the darshan timings of the temple, and to install boards on the change in timings for the convenience of devotees and to deploy staff to regulate them. If these measures are not taken, the temple administration will be responsible for any negative interaction between humans and wild elephants in the area in future, the letter said.

In a separate letter to the executive officer of the Anuvavi Subramaniar temple, the Forest Department advised the temple administration to allow devotees through the steps, that cuts through forest, only between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Boards informing the change in timings should be installed for devotees, besides appointing staff to regulate their movement, it said.

Arun Kumar, Forest Range Officer of the Coimbatore Forest Range, said the movement of wild elephants through the steps and road to Maruthamalai temple and through the steps to the Anuvavi temple was a natural traversing in their habitat. Since the road and the steps are passing through the forest, restrictions need to be taken to avoid direct encounters with elephants and causing disturbances to them, he said.

The Forest Department staff will be present at the gates of the two temples at the down hills to enforce the timings. At Marudhamalai, the Forest Department did not have any objection to people visiting the temple using the TNSTC bus service till 7 p.m.

On Wednesday, the Forest Department staff made announcements in areas at the Maruthamalai foothills warning them of the movement of wild elephants. People who live close to the forest boundary were advised to avoid venturing out in the early and late hours.