Madurai: Officials from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the revenue department commenced a survey of Tirupparankundram Hill on Monday, in compliance with directives from the Madras high court. The survey, which employs Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) technology for high-precision boundary mapping, began under tight police security and is scheduled to continue for three days.
Survey Details and Participants
The exercise involved ASI engineer Umesh, Tirumangalam revenue divisional officer Sivajothi, and other officials. It comes amid ongoing litigation concerning the status of areas surrounding the hill, including disputes related to the dargah, temple, and archaeological limits.
Court Order and Legal Context
The high court permitted the ASI to conduct the survey, demarcate protected monuments, and document physical features and measurements around the hill. In its order, the court recorded the ASI's submission that protection notifications issued in 1908 and 1923 covered the entire Tirupparankundram hillock, spanning 172.70 acres, under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act. The notified areas include Jain beds, caverns, rock-cut caves, and inscriptions located on various parts of the hill.
Protected Monument Status
The bench observed that Tirupparankundram Hill is a protected monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. It also referred to restrictions prohibiting construction or excavation within 100 metres of protected limits and regulating activities within the next 200 metres.
Unauthorised Activities
The court further cited the ASI's complaint regarding unauthorised painting on Jain beds behind the Sikkandar Mosque. It stated that no construction or alteration should be undertaken on the hill without permission from archaeological authorities.
The survey is expected to provide critical data for preserving the hill's heritage and resolving legal disputes over its boundaries.
