‘Maintain status quo on project near Big Temple’ Updated: Updated: Share Article Madurai The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has ordered status quo in the issue pertaining to implementation and execution of Smart City project works near the Thanjavur Big Temple or the Brihadeeswarar Temple. A petition said that prior permission from the Archaeological Survey of India was mandatory since it was a regulated area. A Division Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and S.Ananthi directed the ASI to take a call on the issue within a period of eight weeks and disposed of the petition filed by R.K. Neelakandan of Thanjavur. The petitioner said that no prior permission was obtained from the ASI as per the mandatory rules.