Arjun Sampath, founder and head of Coimbatore wing of Hindu Makkal Katchi (Hindu People's Party), has petitioned the Coimbatore collector for installation of a portrait of Marudur Marudachalamurthy Ayyavoo Chinnappa Tevar (M.M.A. Chinnappa Thevar) at the Maruthamalai Murugan temple.
The petition says, M.M.A. Chinnappa Thevar who lived in Ramanathapuram, Coimbatore was an ardent devotee of Lord Murugan. M.M.A. Chinnappa Thevar constructed steps through the hill route to reach the main deity at the hill top. Those steps helped the devotees climb up which previously was full of rocks and shrubs.
Also, at this temple he constructed resting places at short intervals for devotees to halt and stay. His name was inscribed in the mandapams (halls) and many other places as a testimony to his contribution to the temples development.
Now the Hindu endowment board has taken up maintenance works in the temple which has resulted in deletion of names and images of M.M.A. Chinnappa Thevar which were inscribed at many places in the temple.
The petitioners stated that his name and images should be inscribed again on the path used by the pilgrims at the Marudhamalai temple.