Work on the construction of a motel for accommodating the devotees and pilgrims visiting Sri Darbaranyeswarar temple, popularly known as Sri Saneeswarar temple at Tirunallar, has been in progress.
The need for constructing the motel arose following a large congregation of pilgrims at this town, especially on Saturdays.
The town turns busy during the weekend due to influx of devotees from different parts of the State in general and the country in particular, an official said here on Saturday.
Although the Tourism department had constructed a “yatri nivas”, it is inadequate to meet the huge demand for accommodation. The Union Territory government, under its Tirunallar Temple City Development Project, had acquired six acres of land for the construction of the motel.
The state-of-the-art motel will have all basic amenities, particularly parking area for vehicles, including buses and vans. “A large number of vehicles arrive at this small town, making it too difficult for parking on the busy roads in front of private lodges that lack adequate parking lot,” an official source told The Hindu at Karaikal.
The current phase of the work forms the first phase of construction and the building will have 50 rooms, 25 each on the ground floor and first floor. A restaurant is being constructed. The total area of the first block would be 4,524 square metres with 12 single bedrooms and 13 double bedrooms.
Two more identical blocks would come up during the second and third phases of construction.
