HR&CE dept holds 65 temple consecrations in a single day

CHENNAI: Minister for the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) PK Sekarbabu on Friday said the department has conducted consecration for 65 temples on a single day. It is a historic event in the history of the department.

Since the DMK formed the government, the department had conducted consecration for as many as 1,921 temples. This government had allocated Rs 920 crore as subsidy for the department to conduct consecrations, said the Minister after attending the consecration of Arulmigu Pamban Kumaragurudasar Temple in Tiruvanmiyur. It was conducted after a gap of 66 years, the Minister added.

The Minister further said that they have also conducted consecration for Arulmigu Muktheeswarar Temple in Periyapalayam after a gap of 100 years. “This is the first time, after a gap of 20 years, the department organised consecration to so many temples on a single day,” said the Minister.

The department has been also facilitating aged devotees to go on pilgrimage at free of cost. The department has organised free spiritual tours to devotees, aged 60 to 70 years, to six abodes of Lord Muruga and popular Amman temples in the state. Similar programmes have been organised for devotees to go on spiritual tours to Rameswaram and Kashi.

The department has also been taking several works to improve facilities for the devotees in several temples across the state, he further said.