Gold thali for couples if one of them is diff-abled

CHENNAI: The Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) would provide four-gram gold thali for the marriage of couples held in temples, in which one of the partners is differently abled, Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) PK Sekarbabu said.

“The department will implement the scheme from this year,” said the Minister while replying to the debate on demand for grants. Apart from this, the department would conduct marriages of 600 couples and give them gift hampers worth Rs 50,000 and four-gram gold Thali.

Last year, 500 couples hailing from economically weaker sections benefited under this scheme, the Minister noted. They were among the long list of 249 announcements made by the Minister on the floor of the Assembly.

Centre for preserving murals on anvil

The department would establish a research centre at Rs 5 crore to conserve the palm-leaf manuscripts, and protect murals found in temples, while the department would improve the amenities, including development works at Agni Theertham in Arulmigu Ramattha Swamy temple in Rameswaram, at Rs 50 crore, the minister said.

Terracotta sculptures in six of the village temples would be renovated. “The department has allocated Rs 3 crore for the work as the terracotta sculptures portray the traditional practices of the Tamil civilisation, culture in art forms,” said the Minister and added that the department would create a corpus fund to extend financial support every year for the higher studies of 400 children of archakas working in temples under Oru Kala Pooja scheme. He further said existing Annandhaanam scheme would be extended to temples in Periyapalayam, Melmalayanur, and Anaimalai.

Rope Car: The minister said the department, based on the feasibility study, would provide a rope car facility between Palani Hill and Idumban Hill at Rs 32 crore. Similarly, facilities would be provided to Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple, Arulmigu Vedhagiriswarar Temple, and Arulmigu Arangantha Perumal Temple at Rs 34.22 crore. The work would be taken based on the feasibility study.