The people of Tamil Nadu are saddened by the news that a few days ago the south side walls of the famous ''Kamalalyam'' water tank that belongs to the popular Thyagaraja swamy temple, Thiruvarur collapsed on the morning of 25 October due to heavy and incessant train in the delta region .
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| wall collapse. Kamalalayam water tank, Thiruvarur. thehindu.com |
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| Thiruvarur, Kamlalayam water tank, wall collapse. thehindu.com |
Above image: It was taken in ''Oct. 2014''. A section of the parapet and retaining wall of the Kamalalayam tank of Sri Tyagarajar temple in Tiruvarur caved in on 26 October 2014. The Hindu dated 27 Oct. 2014 reported that walls to a length of 350 meters on the western bank caved in twice on the same day causing worries among the residents of the street and those living near-by. The collapse of walls was taken place in the wake of heavy rains earlier.. Reason: Poor maintenance on the part of the HR & CE, a govt. agency in charge of Hindu temples of Tamil Nadu. The 20 foot retaining wall rising from the last pedestal had iron grills atop for extra security. After the collapse of walls buses, trucks, etc were not allowed on the streets around.
From the above image( taken 7 years ago ) of the asphalted road it is likely, the wall collapse was triggered by water stagnation or water logging all along the road side in the lower part of the inner wall. Look at the gradient of the road, it is gently slopping on either side to drain out the water. Apparently, there is no provision to drain away the rain water collecting along the tank walls. Because of continuous soaking on one side, the weakened wall unable to take in more water collapsed toward the tank side. Weak foundation, dampness and heavy rain collectively caused this wall collapse...........
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| Location map Thiruvarue town, TN. mapsofindia.com |
Fortunately, this time there were no casualties as the wall fell inside the water tank in the early morning when the street was not busy. This street is a busy one and has many health care centers plus schools. Lots of students use this street to go to their schools. Sources said the wall on the southern side of the tank collapsed to a length of about 100 ft and this place is just close to the municipal office. The area near the intersection of West street and South street is closed for traffic. Further, cracks are developed in the road so the street is barricaded by the police for safety purpose.
Though the cause of this wall collapse was due to heavy rains, natives who live near this place point out that water stagnation was the main reason that weakened the wall. The collapse was accelerated by the continuous rain. It is mentioned in the media that a few years ago the wall on the north side of the tank collapsed presumably due to heavy rain. The municipality on their part banned the movement of heavy vehicles on the streets close to the tank.
It is imperative that when the road is re-laid all along the Kamalalayam water tank special attention should be paid to the foundation of the wall all along and see to it the water does not get accumulated along the tank's parapet walls on the road sides.
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| Kamalalayam water tank, Thiruvarur, TN. .wikiwand.com |
Above image: Thyagaraja Swamy temple Tank , Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu: ''Kamalalayam'' - located in the heartland of Chola, the tank is part of the temple (built more than 1000 years ago) covering 25 acres. It is believed to be the largest temple water tank in India. The tank will never go dry even if the monsoon fails; it is replenished by numerous underground springs. The shrine dedicated to Naganathar is located at the center of the tank. called Neerrazhi mantapam............
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| Thyagaraja swamy temple, Thiruvarur & the chariot.tourmyindia.com |
Above image: It is one of the largest temples in Tamil Nadu and its history goes back to the 7th Century CE. The 9th century Chola rulers made valuable contribution to this temple. The temple has the most number of shrines in India. Here, Nithya (daily) puja is done to the maragatha lingam (Emerald lingam). In this temple complex all the nine Navagraha idols (celestial planets) are placed towards south in a straight line. It is mentioned that all the Navagrahas (9 planets) were relieved of their curses upon their prayer to the main deity - God Shiva. Yet another fascinating fact is the annual chariot festival of this temple is quite famous across the state. The temple chariot or car is the largest of its kind south of the Vindhya mountains weighing roughly 300 tons plus. For pulling the ''ther'' during the festival, huge bulldozers are used for convenience and it is provided with hydraulic break system to stop it. Locally called Azhi Ther, it is the tallest one in India; the ornamented wooden base alone stands 30 foot tall, the canopy over it will be 66 feet. (total height is 96 feet) ........................................
https://navrangindia.blogspot.com/2015/02/largest-awesome-hindu-temple-tank.html
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