A dispute over maintenance work and access at Lingamalai near Malampatti village in Pudukkottai district has escalated after the Hindu Munnani submitted a complaint to the district Superintendent of Police, citing concerns about the site’s heritage structures and the possibility of a religious confrontation.
According to a report by Dinamalar, the organisation’s petition states that Lingamalai contains an approximately 1,000-year-old Shiva temple, inscriptions, sculptures, a Nandi statue, an old mandapam and other features associated with the Chola period. The petition says the historical significance of the site has been confirmed in government records.
The complaint also states that local residents and devotees have traditionally used the hill for worship, including full-moon circumambulation. It alleges that attempts have been made to damage ancient inscriptions and obstruct access routes. These allegations were made in the petition and have not been independently established in the supplied report.
The immediate dispute relates to a cross reportedly installed at the summit of the hill. The Hindu Munnani’s petition claims that a peace meeting led by the Kulathur tahsildar concluded that the cross was unauthorised and could contribute to tension between Hindus and Christians. It further states that neither side should carry out work at the site without permission from the revenue and police departments, and that no maintenance should be undertaken on the cross.
The petition says that Christians recently carried out maintenance work on the cross and cleaned the access path. Police were informed and stopped the activity, according to the report. Dinamalar did not provide an independent account from the police, revenue officials or representatives of the Christian community on the reported maintenance work or the earlier peace meeting.
The complaint also alleges that there have been previous incidents involving unauthorised entry into the area associated with the Shiva temple, damage to inscriptions and blockage of pathways. It further claims that attempts have been made to refer to Lingamalai as Saveriarmalai, describing these developments as part of an effort to occupy or alter the character of the hill.
The dispute places a heritage site, religious access and local administrative control at the centre of the same conflict. The petition asks the police to take action against individuals who, it alleges, are attempting to provoke a religious confrontation. The supplied report does not state whether a formal criminal case was registered, whether the revenue department has issued a written order regarding the cross, or what further steps the district administration will take.
