The Madras High Court has prohibited the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, along with the administrators of Sathya Gnana Sabai in Vadalur, Cuddalore district, from proceeding with the construction of a Vallalar International Centre (VIC) on the Peruveli land.
This land is significant for devotees as it provides a view of Arutperum Jothi, the ever-burning lamp lit by Saint Vallalar.
A Division Bench consisting of Justices R. Suresh Kumar and S. Sounthar has granted permission to the HR&CE Department officials and others to construct an old-age home, a Siddha clinic, and other facilities on Site B, situated approximately one kilometer from the Peruveli land. This decision was made while issuing interim orders in response to a series of writ petitions challenging the proposed construction on a portion of the aforementioned land.
“The HR&CE Department and the Vallalar temple trustees shall not proceed to make any constructions on Site A as proposed by them pursuant to Government Order No. 361 issued on October 5, 2023... However, the department and the trustees can proceed to make constructions as proposed at Site B,” the Bench said, and decided to hear the case further on October 17.
The State government planned to construct the Vallalar International Centre (VIC) at a cost of ₹99.99 crore on 3.18 acres of the 71.20 acres of land under the possession of Sathya Gnana Sabai. The petitioners opposed this initiative, arguing that the VIC could be built elsewhere, as the Peruveli land is a significant gathering place for many people to witness the Arutperum Jothi.
The court was informed that Sri Ramalinga Swamigal, widely known as Saint Vallalar, was born in 1823 and established the philosophy of Samarasa Sudha Sanmarga Sathya Sangam in 1865. Throughout his life, many followers contributed large tracts of land to him, though a significant portion of this land has since been encroached upon.
Additionally, the petitioners highlighted that Saint Vallalar built a Satya Dharma Sabai in 1867 for feeding the poor and the Satya Gnana Sabai in 1872 for meditation. The remaining land was designated as Peruveli, intended as a space for devotees to gather and witness the Arutperum Jothi—a lamp he lit during his lifetime that has continued to burn without interruption ever since.
In its defense, the State government informed the court that Saint Vallalar had written a book titled *Thiru Arutpa Urainadai Paguthi*, in which he outlined a visionary plan for eight distinct service centers at the Satya Dharma Salai on the property, although only two were established during his lifetime.
The proposed service centers included a dharma sabai (dining center), vaidya sabai (healthcare center), sastra sabai (educational center), upakara sabai (home for the elderly), viruthi sabai (community development center), upasana sabai (spiritual gathering place), yoga sabai (meditation center), and vivagara sabai (auditorium).
Since only two of these centers were constructed by Vallalar, the government has now decided to allocate nearly ₹100 crore to build the remaining six centers as part of the Vallalar International Centre (VIC). This new complex will feature a meditation hall, a museum showcasing Vallalar's history, a large auditorium for discourses, an old-age home, a digital library, and additional facilities.
Although the State government planned to cover the entire construction cost, the property would remain under the ownership of the Tiru Arutprakasa Vallalar Deiva Nilayam, which manages the Sathya Gnana Sabai. The government asserted that the Vallalar International Centre (VIC) would not obstruct the access of devotees visiting the site to witness the Arutperum Jothi.
However, the Division Bench ruled that construction on Site A should be halted until further notice.
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