Massive 'God rock' meant for Bengaluru, now stuck in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: A massive single-piece rock, weighing 380 metric tons and measuring 120ft in length and 33ft in breadth, carved out of a hillock in Tamil Nadu for the Kothandaramaswami idol, has now got stuck in legal tangle.
The semi-finished idol was to be transported by a 170-tyre truck, to a location near Bengaluru. The rock piece is stranded at Korakottai village in Thiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu, after cranes and vehicles engaged by the trust which commissioned the work, could not properly move and position it on the truck.
The single piece of rock weighing 380 metric tons and measures 120 feet long and 33 feet wide. It is 15ft in thickness. The god’s face and hands alone have been carved at present, and the remaining sculpture work would take place once it reaches its destination. A second piece of rock is smaller than that of the main deity, measures 24 feet long and 64 feet broad. Thethird piece weighs 260 metric tons.
Kothandaramaswami Charitable Trust of Bengaluru found the rock available at Korakottai village of Thiruvannamalai district most suitable for the idol, after a detailed search through satellite.
The PIL highlighted the dangers involved in transporting the piece and sought to restrain authorities from permitting its movement on public roads.
A division bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice N Seshasayee, before which the PIL filed by Munikrishnan of Cheyyar in Thiruvannamalai district came up for hearing on Friday, adjourned the matter to July 28 for further hearing.
The petitioner said the land where the rock was found belonged to government of Tamil Nadu and added that transportation of the huge rocks through public roads and highways without precaution would be very dangerous. It will endanger the safety of the villagers as well as people along the entire route through which it would be carried.
He said his representation in this regard to district authorities on June 28 did not evoke any response and hence he was constrained to file the present PIL.