Latest news with #HinduReligiousandCharitableEndowment
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Asia's tallest Murugan statue to be set up at Thindal temple
Erode: Ministers Sekar Babu and S Muthusamy on Sunday said Asia's tallest Murugan statue would be set up at the Murugan Temple at Thindal. "Benefactors are coming forward to finance the construction of the 186ft tall Murugan statue at Thindal. " Muthusamy said the statue would be made of cement. "The plinth will be 3.5ft tall and it will be made of black granite. The hill, where the statue will come up, is 50ft tall. Hence, the statue will look taller than its actual height. The infrastructure will be planned to accommodate five times the current number of devotees visiting the temple." Sekar Babu said the Dravidian model govt under the leadership of chief minister M K Stalin was committed to renovating temples. "During our governance so far, 3,325 temples, 125 of them Murugan temples, have been consecrated. By the end of this year, the number of temples consecrated is expected to reach 3,500." The HR&CE minister said 46 temples, including Thiruparankundram Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple, first in the line of six abodes of Murugan, would be consecrated on Monday. He said the govt had allocated a record subsidy of Rs1,120 crore to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) department since it assumed office. He said the Palani temple would get a facelift at a cost of Rs416 crore, while Tiruchendur temple would be renovated at a cost of Rs98 crore. Work on installing lifts at Marudhamalai and Swamimalai temples is currently in progress. He said the work on renovating Tiruchendur temple was likely to be completed by October. "Road work for Tiruttani temple and Siruvapuri temple is also underway at a cost of Rs67 crore and Rs57 crore, respectively."
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Four golden cars, seven silver cars of temples to be dedicated before December-end, says Minister
Four golden cars and seven silver cars of the temples will be ready and dedicated to the shrines before December-end, Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment P.K. Sekar Babu has said. Speaking to reporters after inaugurating the 'Aani' car festival of Swami Nellaiyppar – Gandhimathi Ambal Temple here along with Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu on Tuesday, Mr. Sekar Babu said 134 cars for 130 temples across Tamil Nadu were being made at the cost of ₹75 crore even as renovation of 72 temples had been taken-up on an outlay of ₹19 crore. Sheds for parking 197 wooden cars of temples had been created at the expense of ₹30 crore to protect them from rain and shine. Following appeals from the devotees, five golden cars costing ₹31 crore and nine silver cars on an outlay of ₹29.77 crore were being fabricated. Of this, the golden car of Periyapalayam Temple and the silver cars of Thiruttani and Kalikambal Temple, Chennai, had already been dedicated. Hence, the remaining golden and silver cars would be ready before December-end. Moreover, Vettuvanam Ellaiyamman Temple in Vellore district would get the silver car soon, the minister said. When asked about AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami's observation that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was suffering from 'panic fever' after seeing the massive turnout for his 'Save people, Redeem Tamil Nadu' election campaign which he kickstarted at Mettupalayam, Mr. Sekar Babu retorted that the DMK would retain power with the people's mandate even though the AIADMK – BJP combine, who were suffering from 'losing fever', were intimidating their political rivals with their CBI, Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax etc. 'None has the power to defeat the Democratic Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu,' Mr. Sekar Babu claimed. He also blamed 'certain elements' for creating legal hurdles while the DMK government was carrying out development works in the temples. 'These forces even tried to stay through the courts even the consecration of Tiruchendur temple and are putting blocks for creating more facilities in the temples. But we'll smash all these hurdles,' he said. The minister also informed that 1.50 lakh palm manuscripts in the temples across Tamil Nadu were being digitised and the palm manuscripts would be displayed in the districts from where they were recovered. On the ongoing development works in Swami Nellaiyappar Temple, the minister said laying of tiles on the terrace of Amman Sannidhi at the cost of ₹1.43 crore and the renovation of the stone mandapam in the same area had been completed on an outlay of ₹99 lakh. The 'karu urumaari theerthakulam' renovation work had been initiated at the expense of ₹1.60 crore. 'The trial run of the 450 kg-silver car of Swami Nellaiyappar Temple, which is being made at the cost of ₹5 crore will be conducted before October-end. We've strengthened the temple's security arrangements by installing new CCTV cameras at the cost of ₹30 lakh. Since the shrine attracts more devotees during festivals, food will be served to 500 persons on special occasions against the regular number of 100,' Mr. Sekar Babu informed. He also said cloak room (₹32.60 lakh) and toilets (₹14.70 lakh) had also been built in Swami Nellaiyappar Temple.
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
‘Aani' car festival of Swami Nellaiyappar Temple held with traditional fervour
Thousands of devotees participated in the 519th 'Aani' car festival of Swami Nellaiyappar – Gandhimathi Ambal Temple here and drew Tamil Nadu's third largest car along the four Car Streets around the shrine on Tuesday. After the celebration started with flag-hoisting on June 30, the car festival was held on Tuesday in which Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu, Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment P.K. Sekar Babu, Mayor G. Ramakrishnan, District Collector R. Sukumar, Corporation Commissioner Monika Rana, Commissioner of Police, Tirunelveli City, Santosh Hadimani, MP C. Robert Bruce, MLAs Ruby R. Manoharan, M. Abdul Wahab and Nainar Nagenthiran participated. Since the ropes got snapped during the car festival last year, even as the devotees were drawing the car, six new ropes, costing ₹6.50 lakh, had been fitted in the cars of Swami Nellaiyappar and Gandhimathi Ambal this year. The newly made Chandikeswarar car, built at the cost of ₹59 lakh, added more colour to the celebration this year. The recently made wooden horses had been fitted in cars of Swami Nellaiyappar, Vinayagar, Subramaniyar and Chandikeswarar and wooden Bramma and 'yaazhi' sculptures were fitted in the Gandhimathi Ambal car this year. As the wheels of Vinayagar car were old and hence been weak, new wheels were fitted at ₹5.54 lakh and the new colourful clothes, costing ₹9.92 lakh, had been used to decorate the cars of Swami, Ambal, Vinayagar, Subramaniyar and Chandikeswarar. While the Corporation had re-laid the Car Street roads, the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation had replaced the power cables crossing these roads with underground cabling system this year and hence the power supply could be restored immediately after the cars crossed every street. Police had made elaborate security arrangements around the shrine and effected traffic diversions to facilitate the free movement of devotees in and around the temple. The entire crowd was being monitored constantly from the police control room as CCTV cameras had been fitted afresh along the Car Streets. Besides setting-up water booths along the Car Streets, health posts had been created to attend the devotees who suddenly fell sick due to exhaustion and heat. The district administration had declared local holiday for the car festival.
The Hindu
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Public resist HR and CE officials attempt to seal marriage hall built on temple land
Officials of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment had tough time when they tried to seal a marriage hall allegedly built on the temple land in Palayamkottai on Tuesday. According to the official of HR and CE Department, a marriage hall and around 200 houses have been built on a portion of the 38 acres of land belonging to Venkatachalapathi Temple at Thimmarajapuram in Palayamkottai. As most of the houses on this land were reportedly built before 1960s and the dwellers are paying the taxes payable to the government, the dwellers refused to move away from the land even though the HR and CE issued eviction notice to them. The HR and CE court that delivered a judgment in this connection on April 24 last asked the dwellers to move out while giving them 60 days to appeal before the Commissioner, HR and CE. Against this backdrop, the HR and CE officials led by Assistant Commissioner Subbulakshmi and the police came to seal the marriage hall on Tuesday. A group of people living in the houses built on the temple land resisted it. They argued that the officials, after sealing the marriage hall, would also seal all their houses built on the land parcel having the same survey number. Even as heated argument was going on between the public and the officials, one of them poured kerosene on himself and also on some of the officials. However, the immolation bid was foiled by pouring water on the individual and the officials. AIADMK Tirunelveli district secretary Thatchai N. Ganesa Raja, party office-bearers Sudha Paramasivan, Bharani Sankaralingam and K.J.C. Gerald, Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam's Tirunelveli North joint secretary Maria John came to the spot and held talks with the officials on behalf of the public, who demanded 3 days for vacating the marriage hall. They also said they had appealed before the Commissioner, HR and CE against the HR and CE court verdict. Even though the officials could not seal the marriage hall, they said they would file a complaint with the police as the government officials were prevented from discharging their duty and were threatened by pouring kerosene. Those in distress or having suicidal tendencies could seek help and counselling by calling State's health helpline 104 or Chennai-based Sneha's suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.
New Indian Express
11-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Volunteers clear 1,750 kg of plastic waste from Velliangiri Hill in Coimbatore
COIMBATORE: Days after the trekking period ended, volunteers from different parts of the state joined hands to carry out a cleanliness drive at Velliangiri Hill in Boluvampatti Forest Range in Coimbatore. As many as 35 volunteers, in the age group of 18-55, came for the cleanliness drive and collected over 1,750 kg of plastic waste including water bottles and food wrappers on June 8. The forest department had granted permission to devotees to trek on the hill as the Lord Velliangiri Aandavar Temple is situated on the seventh hill. While the temple is under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) department, the forest department permits treks from February to May. During the trekking period between February 1 and May 25, over 2.5 lakh devotees are estimated to have trekked the hills. This huge footfall brought with it the menace of plastic waste, despite the forest department's initiatives to curb plastic in the area. B Hari Kumar, a fitness coach who trekked the hill over 102 days, called on volunteers through his social media page to partake in the cleanliness drive. Volunteers from across the state participated in the drive on Sunday and collected the plastic waste from the foothills to the third hill, a 3 km stretch. Hari Kumar told TNIE, "To prevent plastic dumping on the hill, the forest department affixes stickers on plastic bottles carried by those who come for trekking and collect Rs 20 per bottle. The devotees can collect Rs 20 after returning the empty plastic bottle. However, some of them throw the bottles during the trek in the reserve forest area. To clean up the plastic bottles and plastic covers, I sought the forest department's permission. They have given three Sundays for the work. On June 8, the first Sunday, we collected 1,750 kg of plastic waste with the support of the forest guards." He said as many as 18 out of 35 volunteers came from Chennai, Salem, Tirunelveli and other districts. "They have come forward for the social cause and dedicated a day for the work. We started work at 7.45 am and completed by 4 pm. We handed over the segregated waste to the Coimbatore city corporation. Due to the elevation and distance, we have invited young volunteers for the next two Sundays."
