For nearly 77 years, the residents of Thavanur and Thirunavaya in Kerala’s Malappuram have been demanding a bridge connecting the two villages across the Bharathapuzha river. But shortly after the Kerala government initiated the bridge’s construction, E Sreedharan, a technocrat-turned-politician more popularly known as the Metro man, filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Kerala High Court against its construction and called for its realignment. Sreedharan, also a BJP member, contended that the alignment of the proposed bridge could potentially hurt Hindu sentiments as it breaks the ‘sanctity of the Trimurti Sangama’, formed by the presence of three temples in its vicinity.
Sreedharan’s petition was accompanied by political opposition to the bridge from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The party even carried out a protest rally in Thavanur on September 8, when the bridge’s construction was inaugurated by Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Mohammed Riyas.
Those opposing the bridge also argue that as one end of it is located between the Brahma and Shiva temples in Thavanur, it breaks a perceived ‘triangle’ that the two temples form with the Navamukunda temple at the opposite bank in Thirunavaya. While the Thavanur end of the bridge will be near the Shiva temple, it will not touch neither the shrine nor the road leading to it.
Sreedharan’s PIL came as a disappointment to both the residents and the Thavanur panchayat authorities because the objections were raised just as the construction of the bridge was about to start. The people are worried that the project may face further delays. Moreover, not everyone agrees with the Metro man’s argument that the bridge will hurt Hindu sentiments.
TNM visited ward 1 in the panchayat, where the Shiva temple and the Brahma temple are located. None of the residents we spoke to raised objections against the bridge. However, when we contacted local representatives of the BJP, they were reluctant to speak to the media.
Significance of the bridge
The proposed bridge connecting Thirunavaya on the northern bank of Bharathapuzha with Thavanur on the southern bank is 1.18 km long, including the approach roads. It has a width of 11 m, including footpaths on both sides.
Thavanur and Thirunavaya villages are 14 km apart by road. However, a bridge across the river would reduce the distance to just 1 km, not only making it easier for the residents to travel between the two villages, but also making it convenient for devotees to visit the Trimurti temples (collective name for the Navamukunda, Brahma, and Shiva temples).