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.

The initiative was announced in the state Assembly by HR&CE Minister PK Sekarbabu on May 4, 2022, and the state government granted ₹100 crore to restore the first 80 temples.

That was just the beginning, as the state would allocate ₹425 crore from 2022-23 to 2025-26. As many as 352 ancient temples have been taken up for restoration at a cost of ₹571.55 crore, including donations and temple funds. Consecration has been completed for 71 temples, while work is still going on at 164 temples.

Terming the ambitious project of restoring the 1000-year-old temples special, Sekarbabu stresses the work is being carried out meticulously by the DMK government led by Chief Minister MK Stalin by following all the norms to protect the state’s cultural heritage.