Tiruchendur temple among 2,500 shrines to get makeover

CHENNAI: The shore temple of Sri Subrahmanya Swamy at Tiruchendur in Thoothukudi district is all set for a massive makeover at a cost of Rs 171 crore.

The renowned temple, which draws devotees of Lord Murugan all through the year, is among over 2,500 temples the State government has identified for taking up renovation, restoration and maintenance chores this year.

Administrative sanction has been accorded for Rs 365 crore, in total, to take up renovation, restoration and maintenance works.

Numerous works like establishing a garden, providing lighting, mending compund walls, etc., would also be taken up with generous contribution from donors.

Owing to the size of the project and also because the proposed works fall in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CZR) in Tiruchendur, the state government has sought environmental clearance from the Central government,” J Kumaragurubaran, Commissioner, HR & CE, said. Exuding confidence that the clearance would be provided soon, he said massive facilities for devotees would come up soon at Tiruchendur.

At least 4 lakh devotees throng the temple, which is among the six abodes of Lord Murugan, to witness the annual Soorasamharam event, while thousands visit the shrine on any given day. The wait for darshan of the Lord becomes quite long during weekends and holidays.

Devotees who visit this ancient temple invariably face difficulty in obtaining accommodation close to the temple and also in getting hassle-free darshan.

“We are striving to perform the temple pujas as per Agama shastra system, and trying to improve the basic amenities required for the devotees,” HR & CE Minister P K Sekar Babu said.

A plan has been worked out to complete the pending announcements made in the Tamil Nadu Assembly in the last two financial years. Department officials have been told to expedite the works, he added.