Sri Prasanna Venkatachalapathy Temple tank at Tallakulam in Madurai is all set to get a facelift with renovation and repair works in progress.
“We wanted to renovate the tank before monsoon sets in and ensure that it acts as an effective structure to store rainwater. The tank has been desilted and the water channels and inlets which enable water to drain into the tank from the nearby areas have been cleared of silt,” T. Varadharajan, Executive Officer of Sri Kallazhagar Temple in Alagarkoil, said on Sunday.
Sri Prasanna Venkatachalapathy Temple, which is located in Tallakulam, comes under the purview of the Alagarkoil temple administration. The tank measuring 250 feet by 200 feet is nine feet deep, and the renovation is being carried out at a cost of Rs.60 lakh.
Temple officials said the space around the tank was being converted into a park. “A paver blocks pathway is being laid around the tank for the public to walk. Stone benches are also going to be set up there and work is on to plant small trees,” said an engineer from the temple.
Space had also been earmarked near the tank for a small children’s play area where swings, slides and a see-saw would be installed soon, he added.
Float festival The temple tank hosts the yearly ‘teppam’ or float festival organised as a part of ‘Purattasi Brahmotsavam’ celebrations.
“Based on availability, water is released from Vaigai dam during the float festival and it reaches the tank through a channel passing through Tiruppalai. If water is not available in the dam due to poor monsoon, devotees carry the deities on their shoulders around the dry tank,” a temple official said.
Though the tank is primarily a rain-fed one, work is also being carried out to install a borewell to keep it recharged with water throughout the year. While 50 per cent of the renovation works has been completed, the remaining works are expected to be over within the next one and a half months.
