All major temples in State asked to draw up a master plan

The 'vimanam' of Sri Mariamman temple near Tiruchi adorned with gold 'kavacham'. Photo: M. Rajarathinam

All the 181 major temples in Tamil Nadu have been told to draw up master plans outlining their planned development works for the next ten years.

In the first phase, 35 of the top temples have been asked to submit their master plans to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department before January 15, HR and CE Commissioner P.R. Shampath told The Hindu on Tuesday.

A meeting of the chairman of the 35 temple trustee boards would be convened on the third week of January with the Department Minister K.R. Periakaruppan presiding over it. After discussions the master plans would be approved during the meeting, he said.

“This master plan would chalk out all types of works from renovation to new construction. If and approval is given now, they can take up the work at an appropriate time. This master plan is henceforth a prerequisite for temples to take up development works,” he said.

Once the first phase is completed, all the remaining temples in the list of 181 would also be asked to submit their master plans. While some of the remaining Grade I temples have already prepared master plans, others have initiated the process.

Temples such as the Lord Kallazhagar Temple at Alagarkoil in Madurai district and Samayapuram Mariamman Temple in Tiruchi district have already drawn up plans. “The Mariamman Temple drew up their plans with the assistance of National Institute of Technology,” he informed.

K. Rajanayagam, Executive Officer of Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai, said that the temple was drawing up plans to construct a Yatri Nivas dormitory and marriage hall for devotees at its 7-acre site at Ellis Nagar in the city.

Plans would also be drawn to develop the other lands in the temple’s possession in consultation with Karumuttu T. Kannan, Chairman, Board of Trustees for the temple and other trustees.