Elakurichi bus stand cries for attention

With most of the buses operating via Elakurichi skipping the village bus stop, visitors to Adaikala Madha Shrine are forced to walk a km to reach the famous church in Ariyalur district.

Built by Veeramanunivar in the early 18th Century, the shrine attracts a steady stream of devotees right through the year. But many of the visitors arriving by buses are forced to walk about a km to reach the shrine as most buses drop passengers at the village bazaar instead of going up to the bus stand situated on the rear side of the shrine.

Except a couple of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation buses operating to Elakurichi, the other buses drop the passengers at the Kadatheru. “This poses much hardship to the devotees, especially senior citizens, as they have to walk nearly a km, to the church carrying their baggage,” the church authorities said in representations submitted to authorities.

The church had donated about 80 cents of land to the Elakurichi panchayat to establish a bus stand on the rear side of the church, which serves as the main access way to the shrine now. However, the bus shelter built at the site is occupied by alms-seekers, who have kept their personal belongings inside the shelter. Devotees visiting the church are often harried by the alms-seekers mobbing them.

“The bus stand should be maintained properly and provided with amenities such as drinking water and toilets. All buses should also drop and pick up passengers at the bus stand,” said Rev.Fr. P. Thangasamy, Parish Priest, Adaikala Madha Shrine.

The church administration, through representations to the authorities, has sought the operation of buses from Tiruchi to Elakurichi on two routes – via Lalgudi, Pullampadi, Thiumazhapadi and Thirumanur and Kallanai, Poondi, Thiruvaiyaru and Thirmanur – for the benefit of devotees visiting the church. Signboards indicating the way to the church should be installed on different routes, it said.

It has also urged the authorities to ensure that the road leading to the church from the village bazaar be provided with adequate illumination.