HR & CE department to focus on infrastructure improvement through master plans in T.N. temples

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department will prepare the second phase master plan and implement infrastructure development work to provide additional facilities for devotees at the Pazhaniandavar Temple at Palani in Dindigul district at a cost of ₹108.9 crore, said Minister for HR & CE P.K. Sekarbabu on Wednesday.

Speaking in the Assembly during the discussion on the Demand for Grants of his department, the Minister said the third phase master plan providing additional facilities at the Subramaniyaswamy Temple at Maruthamalai will be implemented at a cost of ₹18.2 crore. Steps are underway to prepare master plans and carry out infrastructure work at a cost of ₹50 crore at Muthumariyamman Temple in Thayamangalam in Sivaganga, Subramaniyaswamy Temple at Kanthal in the Nilgiris, Gowmariamman Temple at Veerapandi in Theni and Karabhadraswamy Mutt at Vyasarpadi, he said.

The deposit amount for the Oru Kaala Poojai scheme for nearly 17,000 temples will be enhanced from ₹2 lakh to ₹2.5 lakh, said Mr. Sekarbabu, who announced that the State government would spend ₹110 crore for this purpose. The department would provide ₹10,000 as educational assistance for 500 students who are wards of the Oru Kaala Poojai scheme archakas. A new golden temple car will be made for the Narasimhaswamy Temple in Ukkadam in Coimbatore and the Ilanchikumarar Temple at Ilanchi in Tenkasi district at a total cost of ₹9 crore, he said.

The existing day-long annadhanam scheme in 11 temples will be extended to Kallazhagar Temple at Alagarkovil in Madurai district and Subramaniyaswamy Temple at Maruthamalai. The one-time Annadhanam scheme operational in 760 temples will be extended to six more temples. The students of schools and colleges administered by Palani Murugan temple will be given lunch, in addition to the existing breakfast scheme, he said.

The HR&CE department is slated to take 420 devotees on a pilgrimage from the Ramanathapuram Temple to Kasi Vishwanath Temple and 1,000 devotees aged between 60 and 70 years on a pilgrimage to Arupadai Veedu Temples (six abodes of Lord Murugan). The Minister also announced that new Othuvar training schools will be opened at Palani Temple and in Kapaleeswarar Temple, Mylapore. He said his department would renovate at a cost of ₹3.75 crore, the birthplace of Saint Vallalar (Ramalinga Adigal) at Marudhur in Cuddalore district.

Tourism package

Minister for Tourism K. Ramachandran announced that his department would enhance the infrastructure of Hotel Tamil Nadu run by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation at a cost of ₹18.8 crore. Infrastructure improvement in tourist spots of spiritual importance, creation of additional facilities in various waterfalls, lakes and beaches, and preparation of a master plan for tourism development were among the other announcements of the Tourism Department.

A new Government College of Fine Arts in Madurai, free bus travel for Kalaimamani awardees, renovation of buildings at Government College of Architecture and Sculpture at Mamallapuram, infrastructure development and additional facilities at Government Museums at Cuddalore, Vellore and Nagapattinam were some of the announcements made by Minister M.P. Saminathan for the Department of Art and Culture and Museums.