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The Hindu
5 days ago
- The Hindu
Special darshan tickets at Arunachaleshwara temple will be increased to ₹100: HR&CE Minister
Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) P.K. Sekar Babu on Thursday said that the existing special darshan ticket of ₹50 at Arunachaleshwara temple in Tiruvannamalai town will be doubled soon to enable the department to provide more civic amenities to visiting devotees. Accompanied by Minister for Public Works and Highways E.V. Velu and Collector K. Tharpagaraj, Mr. Babu inspected temple premises and Mada streets in the town. He also interacted with devotees on the existing civic amenities and safety arrangements available in the temple and 14-km-long Girivalam path. 'As most of the devotees are from neighbouring States like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, special darshan tickets will be increased to ₹100 soon. More time will be given for devotees for darshan at the temple,' he said. Among civic amenities, the Minister said that additional water taps and seating arrangements for senior citizens and persons with disabilities will be set up in the temple premises. Also, digital boards will be installed at various spots in the temple to provide timing of special poojas for devotees. A special arena with a seating capacity of 2,000 persons for those devotees with special darshan tickets will be made soon to allow them for hassle-free worship. 'Steps to construct additional accommodation facilities for pilgrims are also underway. Land near Raja Gopuram of the temple has been identified to build a waiting hall for devotees at a cost of Rs 1.97 crore. Work will commence soon,' he said. The Minister said that more queues will be formed in free darshan to allow more devotees to visit the temple. Special queue will be in place for senior citizens and pregnant women to have darshan easily. Also, additional battery-run cars will be operated to help persons with disabilities to move around inside the temple.
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Residents on board with proposed Avadi terminus revamp; seek temporary relocation of bus stand
Residents of Avadi have long been requesting the redevelopment of both the railway station and the bus terminus in the area to help commuters have seamless access between them, as both transport facilities suffer from poor amenities. While the Southern Railway has begun upgrading the Avadi railway station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), with the work expected to be completed by the end of this year, the bus terminus continues to reel under poor passenger facilities. Located on CTH Road, directly opposite the railway station, the bus terminus has become a key transport hub for residents travelling to the city, as well as to the southern areas — particularly Tambaram and Kilambakkam via the Outer Ring Road — and to the Poonamallee Bus Terminus. As the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has been struggling financially to redevelop the Avadi bus terminus, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), which executed both the Koyambedu and Kilambakkam bus terminals, has come to its rescue. Slew of amenities A senior CMDA official, providing details about the modernisation of the bus terminus, for which a function was held on Wednesday (July 9, 2025), said that a three-storeyed facility would be built at a cost of ₹36.06 crore. With a built-up area of 65,000 sq. ft., the terminus will include a food plaza, shopping area, public conveniences, a water purification plant, and restrooms for bus crew. The ground floor, designated exclusively for bus bays, will accommodate parking for 22 buses at a time. The terminus will also feature a spacious waiting area measuring nearly 5,000 sq. ft., along with a timekeeper's office and other administrative offices. The CMDA official said that as parking facilities have become a mandatory amenity for commuters, with both Metro and suburban railway stations offering them, the CMDA has made arrangements to accommodate parking for 500 vehicles, including cars. CMDA Minister P.K. Sekar Babu had already announced the redevelopment of the Avadi bus terminus in the 2024-25 budget for the CMDA. The reconstruction work will be completed within two years, the senior official added. Need for skywalk While residents are happy that the bus terminus is finally being reconstructed, they are concerned that the work will proceed alongside ongoing bus operations, similar to how redevelopment is being carried out at railway stations under the ABSS. They have urged authorities to temporarily shift the bus terminus to a vacant ground owned by the Defence Department, to prevent buses from being parked on CTH Road and worsening traffic congestion. Residents argue that operating buses from a portion of the old terminus is not a viable option. Social activist T. Sadagopan said that with the State government proposing to construct a Metro rail line from Koyambedu to Pattabhiram, passing through the Avadi bus terminus, the terminus is set to become a major transport hub, similar to Tambaram. He pointed out that the railway station, located on the southern side of CTH Road, along with heavy traffic congestion and the absence of a pedestrian signal, poses serious inconvenience and danger to pedestrians. To ensure easy and safe access between the bus terminus, Metro station, and railway station, he suggested constructing a skywalk, similar to the one connecting the T. Nagar bus terminus and Mambalam railway station. K.S. Gopalakrishnan, a longtime resident of Pattabhiram, suggested that the MTC should shift a portion of its bus operations to Pattabhiram during the reconstruction of the Avadi bus terminus. A senior official of the MTC, meanwhile, said they would explore the option of shifting the bus terminus to the vacant ground located behind the current bus terminus. Non-functional escalators Avadi residents also highlighted that the escalators installed at the railway station and made operational a few months ago have not been functioning or are being switched off during non-peak hours. Yuvan Shankar, a resident of Avadi, said several commuters, including senior citizens and women with children, are inconvenienced by this.
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Stage set for consecration of Tirupparankundram temple on July 14: HR&CE Minister
The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister P.K. Sekar Babu said preparation for kumbabhishekam of Sri Subramanian Swamy Temple had been completed and consecration would be held on July 14. Speaking to media persons here on Tuesday, he said the government had spent ₹2.37 crore for the Subramanian Swamy Temple consecration and it would be performed between 5.25 a.m. and 6.10 a.m. on July 14 by priests. He said that yagasala pujas would commence on July 10 and conclude on July 13. He said 3,000 police personnel would be deployed to ensure the safety of the devotees. Thanking the authorities for the excellent arrangements made at Tiruchendur Subramanya Swamy Temple kumbabishekam held on July 7, he said that not a single untoward incident was recorded by the police. This showed the meticulous planning and execution by the official machinery. He said that on July 7 alone, kumbabishekams were performed to 114 temples in different parts of the State, which reflected on the government's commitment to the people. To a specific query, he said that the HR&CE department had spent ₹2.37 crore for the temple's consecration ceremony here apart from ₹22 crore being spent on construction of marriage halls, inns, etc. He said elaborate arrangements had been made for devotees to view the kumbabhishekam through LED screens installed at vantage locations. Basic needs, including drinking water facility, accessible toilets and proper waste disposal among others would be taken care by Madurai Corporation. The Fire and Rescue personnel, '108' ambulance team and other emergency services would be ready as a precaution. Earlier, Commercial Tax and Registration Minister P. Moorthy, Collector K.J. Praveen Kumar, Police Commissioner J. Loganathan, Corporation Commissioner Chitra Vijayan and others inspected the preparations on Tuesday along with the HR&CE officials, temple chairperson and trustees.
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Tiruchendur Kumbabishekam a success story, says T.N. government
The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) said the successful conduct of the Kumbabishekam of the Tiruchendur Murugan Temple after 16 years on Monday (July 7) was a testament to the efforts taken by the 'Dravidian Model government', led by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, to maintain law and order. In a statement issued in Chennai, the government said the DMK administration had left its mark through the arrangements made for the smooth conduct of the event. 'Compared to the Kumbh Mela, where many people lost their lives and devotees faced numerous difficulties at railway stations, the Kumbabishekam at Tiruchendur was conducted peacefully. The Chief Minister, Ministers including HR&CE Minister P.K. Sekar Babu, and officials have proved to be excellent organisers who ensured the safety of lakhs of people,' the statement said. The government added that the Chief Minister had instructed officials to make adequate arrangements, including providing sufficient buses and facilities, to help devotees visit Tiruchendur and return safely.
The Hindu
12-05-2025
- The Hindu
State govt. taking steps to enable devotees to visit Kannagi temple on every pournami day, says HR&CE Minister
The annual Chitra Pournami festival was celebrated with gaiety and fervour at the Mangaladevi Kannagi Temple by a large number of devotees from Theni (Tamil Nadu) and Idukki (Kerala) districts on Monday. Participating in the celebrations, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister P.K. Sekar Babu said the department would make all arrangements for the devotees to visit the Kannagi temple without any hassles. 'We have already initiated talks with Kerala government officials, and a letter too was handed over to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan,' he said. The temple, which is situated between Tamil Nadu and Kerala, attracts devotees from far and near, and Chitra Pournami is celebrated in a grand manner every year. Forest Department officials from both the States make arrangements during this period by fencing the forest areas and ensure that the devotees have no threat from wild animals. With the ever-increasing number of devotees visiting the temple, it has been proposed to build infrastructure facilities in a permanent manner, so that devotees may visit the temple on Pournami days throughout the year. The HR&CE Department is contemplating to build rest rooms (yatri nivas) for the people and also maintain the spot. According to the legend, Chera King Senguttuvan built the shrine, and Chitra Pournami is being celebrated at the temple during the Tamil month of Chitirai by the people. The Minister was confident of smoothening the visit to the shrine without hassles for the devotees in the coming year. He said the HR&CE Department and the Theni district administration had arranged food for 25,000 people in view of the festival. Apart from this, the devotees who reached the Kannagi temple on foot were provided food in Uthamapalayam and Kumily. HR&CE Commissioner P.N. Sridhar, Theni District Collector Ranjith Singh, Superintendent of Police R. Shiva Prasad, Srivilliputtur Megamalai Tiger Reserve Deputy Director Anand, MP Thanga Tamil Selvan, MLAs N. Ramakrishnan, A. Maharajan, K.S. Saravana Kumar, and senior officials from the HR&CE, Forest, Revenue Departments participated.
