Chennai, Mar 18 (PTI) Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department Minister P K Sekar Babu on Tuesday informed the Tamil Nadu Assembly that work for setting up an elevator in the Swamimalai temple in Thanjavur district, the fourth of the six padaiveedu shrines of Lord Muruga, will be completed before the end of June, 2025.
Answering questions during the question hour, the minister said that work for setting up the elevator in the temple was taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 3.80 crore and it will be completed before the end of June and it shall be opened for use by devotees.
To another question, he said only a few temples, like the Punnainalloor Mariammam temple, under the ambit of Thanjavur Devasthanam, have permanent income and over 80 temples under the devasthanam do not have sources to even light a lamp and when this was brought to the notice of Chief Minister M K Stalin, he sanctioned Rs 3 crore as grant for 2022-23.
For 2023-24, Rs 3 crore more was allowed and for 2024-25, Rs 6 crore was provided and so far, for the Thanjavur devasthanam temples, Rs 12 crore grant has been given, he noted.
For the works to be taken up at the Muthumariamman-Dharmapuram temple under the Thousand Lights constituency, the minister said it will be among the 100 temples to be taken up for Thiruppani (renovation-refurbishment in Chennai region) this year and work will be completed in a year and consecration shall be held.
The Thukkatchi Abathsahayeswarar temple in Thanjavur district was chosen by UNESCO for the Award of Distinction 2024 for conservation of its cultural heritage, the minister said.
The jury citation for the award, on the UNESCO website says: "The revival of the Abathsahayeshwarar Temple in Tamil Nadu has breathed new life into a formerly abandoned religious site, employing an interdisciplinary methodology which connects modern conservation science with traditional construction practices. In this spirit, engineering expertise and the knowhow of Hindu temple builders, sthapathi, were applied in structural conservation and renewal of decorative works in keeping with vernacular artisanal traditions."
Further, it said: "The pedagogical aspiration of the project in establishing guidelines for the restoration of historic living Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu is praiseworthy. Significant support from both the government and devotees has enabled the continuity of this historic temple in a modern-day devotional context."