Take immediate steps to replace damaged, missing idols in Sri Brihadeeswarar Temple: HC - The HinduPublished - September 29, 2026 11:12 pm IST - MADURAIThe Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the authorities concerned to act together and take immediate steps to replace damaged and missing idols of deities in Sri Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur.A Division Bench of Justices C.V. Karthikeyan and R. Sakthivel said a broken or damaged idol should not be used for worship. This principle is established by tradition. It is held that a cracked or damaged idol has lost its consecratory holiness or steady spiritual focus. It disturbs the calm needed for prayer. The broken idol has to be respectfully immersed in a clean river or pond or buried near a sacred tree, like peepal or banyan tree.The temple has celebrated 1,000 years of existence. Kumbabishekams have been performed. But we have to state that emptiness prevails in the eight corners of the temple. The Gods, who guard the directions have been left astray, neglected, forgotten, damaged, ignored and missing, the court said.This does not bode well for the temple. A vacuum, an emptiness remains. That fact having been identified should be rectified and addressed. The presiding deities of the eight directions should be installed in their rightful and lawful places. This would enable the devotees to offer their pujas and pray to the Gods who guard the eight directions. The corners are as important as the main deity in the centre, the court said.King Raja Raja Cholan - I would have been shedding tears till this date that the temple, which he so fondly built, unfortunately, had not been preserved with the respect it deserves, the court said.The deities should be installed / replaced with due reverence in accordance with the agama principles and in consultation with experts and Sthapathis. The glory of the temple would resonate only then and never till then, the court said.The court directed Thanjavur Collector; Joint Commissioner of HR and CE Department; Hereditary Trustee of the Thanjavur Palace Devasthanam; Assistant Superintending Archaeologist, Tiruchi Circle, Archaeological Survey of India, to act together.The preliminary work in compliance with the direction issued should be commenced within three months and the installation of the missing idols and replacement of the damaged idols should be done within 12 months, the court directed while allowing a batch of public interest litigation petitions including a petition to replace damaged and missing Ashta Dikpalakas in their respective shrines in Sri Brihadeeswarar Temple.Published - September 29, 2026 11:12 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }