The DMK government has demolished a centuries-old matha on the pretext of removing encroachment. Hindu activists recovered the structure and its property after a long legal battle. It is alleged that a DMK minister had his eye on the property for a long time and tried to grab it when DMK was in power last time.

Videos of a temple-like structure being demolished in the temple town of Tiruvannamalai went viral on social media recently. The Ammani Ammal mandapam, a math located in front of the North tower of Arunachaleswara temple was demolished on the pretext of removing encroachment. Media had a field day reporting that a BJP person’s property was demolished for encroaching on temple property. However, Hindu activists narrate a different tale.

Ammani Ammal, an ardent devotee of Arunachaleswara, built the North tower by seeking alms. When she attained jeeva samadhi, math was built in her memory by her family. Initially, they took care of the samadhi and the math through a trust. The descendants reportedly live in Bengaluru now. As per Hindu Munnani’s statement, it is private property and HRCE has no right over it. A person appointed as in-charge usurped the matha and its property and claimed it as his own.

Radhakrishnan, a Hindu Munnani leader waged a 30-year-long legal battle against the claim and recovered the property through the courts. Later as per the trust rules, Hindu Munnani was added as a member of the governing board. At that time itself one Sridhar, a Municipality President, reportedly from DMK tried to grab the math and its properties. Hindu Munnani thwarted that attempt.

Hindu Munnani alleges that DMK minister EV Velu’s men also tried to encroach on the property. Still, after the then Hindu Munnani President Shri Rama Gopalan ji talked to MK Stalin, EV Velu backed off. Hindu Munnani appointed Shankar, its district chief, as the in-charge to look after the property. Unfortunately, he too wanted the property for himself and built a house on the property adjacent to the math. Hindu Munnani expelled him from the organisation and tried to recover the property.

In the meanwhile, it appears that HRCE, which controls the Arunachaleswara temple, claimed the math and its land as temple property and sought the district administration to recover it. Despite Hindu activists’ protests, the 400-year-old math was demolished. When asked for the reason behind demolishing the math, HRCE officials reportedly said that it was dilapidated. Minister EV Velu, who is suspected to be behind this, tweeted a video of locals praising him for recovering the property.

Descendants of Ammani Ammal visited the place and questioned the government in its motive behind demolishing the age-old matha. The matha used to serve as yatri nivas for the poor and did Annadana as well. The descendants have sought the government to rebuild it and provide free accommodation and food for devotees.