Madurai: Madras High Court bench here ordered notice to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments commissioner among others on a PIL seeking repair of a damaged 'Lingam' at an ancient Lord Shiva temple at Sivapuram, near Kumbakonam, so that prosperity would return to the shrine.
Petitioner K S Jayakumar, a local priest, submitted that the Lingam of the famous Sri Sivagurunathaswamy temple had suffered damage after the sanctum sanctorum was struck by lightning several years ago.
The Shivalingam had been worshipped by Saint Tirugnanasambandar, who lived in seventh century AD. The architecture of the temple is so well designed that the sun rays would fall directly on the Lingam on three days in the Tamil month of Chithirai.
A "prashnam" by an astrologer recently revealed that the Lingam should be repaired for the prosperity of the village, the petitioner said and sought a direction to repair it. Justices Rama Mohana Rao and S S Sundar yesterday directed the HR&CE officials to file their counter in eight weeks.
