Coimbatore : The shops alongside the temple steps of Marudhamalai Sri Subramaniya Swami temple were removed following High Court orders.

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department has removed several shops alongside the steps on the way to the temple following orders from the Madurai High Court.

The Court had ruled immediate removal of the shops after fire gutted several shops inside the Meenakshi Amman Temple on February 2. The reasons were cited as short circuit. In order to ensure that there is no recurrence of such an incident, the encroached shops have been vacated.

The devotees had also been alleging that the shop keepers compelled them to purchase from their shops and it was causing a lot of inconvenience. As of now on my two shops that sell panchamirdham are functioning near the Annadhanam hall.