TN govt to renovate ancient temples at Rs 125 cr in fiscal year 2025-2026
According to senior officials of the department, a total of 2,662 temples have been renovated, with consecration carried out for the same, over the past four years.;
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CHENNAI: The Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) will undertake the renovation of temples, which are over 1,000 years old, at a cost of Rs 125 crore in the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The department had previously renovated five temples in this category of ancient temples, in addition to 2,680 other temples in the last four years. Restoration work on the ancient temples has been initiated following detailed analysis by the state-level experts’ committee, which has been meeting every fortnight since mid-November 2021, to ensure that the renovation efforts are carried out without tampering with the temples' historical and cultural significance.
According to senior officials of the department, a total of 2,662 temples have been renovated, with consecration carried out for the same, over the past four years. The government had allocated Rs 300 crore in the last four years for the renovation of ancient temples, and it has now earmarked Rs 125 crore for the renovation works of these temples in the fiscal year 2025-2026.
The department’s sustained efforts to retrieve temple properties have also borne fruit, said the official, adding that the department had reclaimed 7,431 acres of temple land, 36.38 lakh square feet of plots, and 5.98 lakh square feet of buildings. The total value of the recovered assets amounts to Rs 7,185 crore.
