Kochi: The temple and cross in Panchalimedu is located on revenue land, the government said in the High Court on Monday.
When the area was acquired in 1976, only a cattle-shed and toilet were present there, the government said. Meanwhile, devaswom board said there was a Bhuvaneswari temple in Panchalimedu according to the settlement register.
In connection with the Panchalimedu land issue, state attorney clarified the government’s stance based on revenue documents available till now. According to the land register, the 145 acres of land in Panchalimedu was under the possession of Kalluvayal family. The taluk land board acquired it in 1976. According to this document, there was no temple or cross on the land. The 145 acres were later handed over to the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC). At present, the land belongs to the DTPC.
However, the government stated that according to the settlement register, Panchalimedu belongs to Vanchippuzha Math. Meanwhile, the devaswom board is of the stance that an ancient temple was located in Panchalimedu.
As there were several claims regarding the land, the court directed both the government and devaswom board to inspect all available documents.
