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HR&CE Minister P.K. Sekarbabu receiving 8.4 kg of gold from donors at the HR&CE Commissioner’s office in Chennai.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Soundararaja Perumal Temple, recognised as the 19th Divya Desam, located in Melakottaivasal, is set to receive gold-plated enhancements for the vimana over its sanctum sanctorum.
On Friday, Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments P.K. Sekarbabu received 8.4 kg of gold from donors for the project at the HR&CE Commissioner’s office in Chennai.
The gold, estimated at ₹6.32 crore, was donated by R. Hari and R. Kugan, grandsons of philanthropist Marudappa Chettiar, under the supervision of Nagapattinam Joint Commissioner V. Kumaresan and temple executive officer Veeravinaya Jeyanth. The initiative forms part of a ₹1.09-crore renovation project culminating in the temple’s consecration ceremony, scheduled for February 2.
The Minister told presspersons that renovation of 21,908 temples had been completed at a cost of ₹5,487 crore, including ₹1,185 crore of donor contributions, across Tamil Nadu. The State government had also recovered ₹936.80 crore in overdue lease and rental payments.
He said ₹2 lakh each had been allocated for restoration at 3,750 rural temples and 3,750 temples in Scheduled Caste habitations. About 7,283.75 acres of encroached temple land had been reclaimed.
About 472 kg of pure gold from 14 temples had been deposited with the State Bank of India, with plans to deposit 1,000 kg by 2025. Renovation work was on at major temples, including Rameswaram, Palani, and Tiruvannamalai, with the Kanniyakumari Bhagavathi Amman Temple to be added to the development scheme this year.
Published – January 03, 2025 05:42 pm IST
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