Auditorium on temple premises to be opened for public events

The first public event is scheduled to be held on July 31

Days after being handed over to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, the new auditorium constructed on the premises of the Sri Kattazhagiya Singar Temple at Srirangam is all set to be thrown open for public events.

The auditorium which was hitherto under the control of the Tourism Department was handed over to the HR&CE department recently after there was a public outcry over non-utilisation of the new building.

Having taken over the auditorium post-inauguration by the Chief Minister through video-conference recently, the HR&CE department has begun to spruce up the huge auditorium measuring a little over 11,000 square feet. Ahead of throwing it open for public events, audio system was being installed inside the auditorium which has a seating capacity of 800.

The HR & CE department has sunk a borewell for provision of water supply for the auditorium as well as for temple use. Provision has also been made for the installation of a generator set, said official sources.

The first public event at the auditorium, provided with air-conditioned facility, is scheduled to be held on July 31 with a bharatanatyam programme to be organised by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, said official sources.

The HR&CE has fixed a rent to let out the auditorium for organising cultural events, spiritual discourses and religious workshops. The auditorium would not be let out for organising weddings, said a senior official adding that some more plans were on the anvil for the auditorium.

The auditorium was constructed after former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was elected from the Srirangam Assembly constituency in 2011. The Tourism Department had constructed the building at a cost of ₹3 crore.