DIVINE INTERVENTION

THE towering Raja Gopuram of Sri Uthira Ranganathar Temple, draped in pale green protective sheets, slowly starts emerging from the horizon.

- T MURUGANANDHAM @Chennai

Zoom in, the dullness of the sheet is in stark contrast with the steady flow of devotees at the religious institution in Pallikonda, some 30 km away from Vellore city, that has a tale of more than a thousand years to tell.

The enthusiasm around is quite palpable. From the flower vendor on the street to the devotees, all have just one question: “When will the Kumbhabhishekam (consecration ceremony) take place?” Quick came the reply from J Hethirajan, the chief priest at the temple for over a decade: “In a few months after the restoration works.”

As Kumbhabhishekam is held once in every 12 years, and the next one is due, anticipation among devotees is high, he tells TNIE.

Sri Uthira Ranganathar Temple is just one among the 714 temples identified as more than 1,000 years old based on stone inscriptions, architectural styles, and the hymns composed by saints. The number could soon reach 850, say HR&CE department officials.