The Hindu Religious Institutions (HRI) will soon release a directory of temples in the Union Territory containing details of heritage of the temple aimed at promotion of temple tourism. The department would launch its website along with the directory.
The decision was taken at a meeting of Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi with officials of HRI and elected representatives.
The meeting decided to explore the feasibility of obtaining funds from the Centre under the Skill Development Training programme to commence a Temple Training Institution and impart temple training as has been done in Tamil Nadu and also by the Art of Life of Sri Sri Ravi Sankar.
During her 79th weekend visit to Kamatchi Amman Temple and various other places in the city, Ms. Bedi stressed the need for revival of temple ponds and replenishing the groundwater sources.
With the onset of monsoon, tanks and ponds, which had been dredged, would become good sources of rainwater and serve as reservoirs of groundwater for better agriculture and to provide nourishing drinking water, she said.
Temple trustees
When the representatives of the community wanted accountability of the Temple Trustees, Commissioner, HRI said that as per directions, the terms of appointment now stressed on the important facets of upkeep and maintenance of temple premises including ponds, if any, maintenance and audit of accounts, carrying out improvements through shramdhan / volunteerism and safeguard the properties and so on. Ms. Bedi directed the temple trustees to act independently and take legal recourse for removal of encroachments from temple lands and asked them not to wait for the government to act. The Lt. Governor visited the land belonging to Kamatchi Amman temple in Thangavel Garden. An action plan had been drawn for cleaning and restoring the farm land which had turned into a drain to its original state. The Public Works Department would carry out a door-to-door survey and notices would be issued to houses that were releasing sewage into the land.
The department would issue applications to the households to connect to underground sewerage system. The work would be completed in six months.
MLA Ashok Anand, and Tillaivel, Commissioner, Hindu Religious Institution, were present.
