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President to visit Goa

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, will visit Goa on July 7 and 8, 2018. This will be his first visit to Goa as the President of India. The President will visit the Basilica of Bom Jesus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Old Goa, and Shri Mangueshi Temple in Mardol, before returning to Delhi. The President will also address the 30th annual convocation of the Goa University.

10 new Swachh Places under Swachh Bharat

Ten new iconic sites have been taken up under Phase III of the flagship project Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) of the Swachh Bharat Mission. Places are: RaghavendraSwamy Temple, Hazardwari Palace, Brahma Sarovar Temple, VidurKuti, Mana village, Pangong Lake, Nagvasuki Temple, ImaKeithal/market, Sabarimala Temple and Kanvashram. The project is under Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.

Karnataka Bank?s all-woman branch

Karnataka Bank opened its first all-woman branch at Bull Temple Road in Bengaluru. This is the 36th branch opened by the Bank during the current financial year 2017-18 and the 800th branch of the bank. Karnataka Bank is a major Private Sector Banking institution headquarted at Mangaluru in Karnataka.

44th Khajuraho Dance Festival Held In MP

The 44th edition of Khajuraho Dance Festival 2018 was held at Khajuraho temple, a UNESCO world heritage site in Madhya Pradesh.Khajuraho Dance Festival is an annual cultural festival that highlights the richness of various Indian classical dance styles. The 6-day festival showcased classical dances including Kathak, Odissi, Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Mohiniattam.

Karnataka’s Hampi as ‘Iconic Tourism’ site

The Centre announced that Karnataka’s Hampi monuments will be among the ten destinations selected as ‘Iconic Tourism’ sites.In his Union Budget speech, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said that the sites will be provided support for holistic infrastructure and skill development. Other selected sites include the Taj Mahal, Konark Sun Temple, and Ajanta and Ellora caves.

Abu Dhabi to get its first Hindu temple

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the first Hindu temple to be built in Abu Dhabi.The temple spread over an area of 55,000 square meters will be located off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway at Al-Rahaba. The temple’s construction will be completed by 2020 and will be open to people of all religious backgrounds.

Madavoor Vasudevan Nair Passes Away

Kathakali maestro Madavoor Vasudevan Nair collapsed on stage and died while performing at Agasthyacodu Mahadeva Temple, Kerala.A recipient of several awards, including Padma Bhushan, he was the follower of the Kaplingattu School, the particular style of south Kerala.Madvoor had also worked as a faculty in the Thekkan Kalari of Kerala Kalamandalam.

PM to lay foundation stone of temple in UAE

Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of a temple in Abu Dhabi during his visit to the United Arab Emirates.The event will be part of a three-nation tour from February 9 to 12, starting in Palestine.The UAE granted the temple project after India conveyed the demand of its nationals for a place of worship during Mr. Modi’s 2015 visit to the country.

Artiste passes away during performance

Ottanthullal artiste Kalamandalam Geethanandan on Sunday passed away during a performance at a temple in Kerala’s Irinjalakuda.A video of his last thullal performance, a combination of dance and recital, showing him collapse with folded hands went viral. The 58-year-old artiste, who has performed on over 5,000 stages, was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

CM Edappady receives Unesco award

25 : CM Edappady received the Unesco Award of Merit awarded to the iconic Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam.The Award of Merit, 2017, was given by Unesco Asia Pacific region for the cultural heritage conservation activities taken up at the temple without altering its original splendour. The ancient Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu who is seen in reclining form.

10 Rs note to have Sun Temple

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) presented the new Rs 10 banknote under the Mahatma Gandhi (New) series.The back of the note features motif of Sun Temple in Konark, ‘depicting the country’s cultural heritage’. Dimensions of the note are 63mmx123mm, as opposed to the older notes 63mmx137mm. It also has Swachh Bharat logo with the slogan.

Odisha splits tourism & culture department

The Odisha government decided to split the tourism and culture department and initiated setting up of Odia Language Commission.The cultural wing was also renamed as Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department.It was also decided to set up a ‘Heritage Cabinet’ to protect the monuments and ancient temples.

UP governor launches Kumbh 2019 logo

UP Governor Ram Naik has unveiled a new multi-coloured logo for Kumbh Mela that is scheduled to be held in Allahabad in Jan 2019.The logo comprises of temples, seers, a kalash & a Swastika.Kumbh Mela is believed to be the largest religious gathering on earth & is held every 12 years on banks of Sangam.UNESCO recently recognised Kumbh Mela as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Golden Temple – most visited place

The Golden Temple has been awarded the ‘most visited place of the world’ by ‘World Book of Records’, a London-based organisation that catalogues and verifies world records. General secretary of India chapter, Surbhi Kaul, and president of Punjab chapter, Randeep Singh Kohli, gave this award to SGPC chief secretary Roop Singh and other senior officials Golden Temple is located in Amritsar.

Ayodhya Mahotsav to be held in S. Korea

Ayodhya Mahotsav’, depicting the cultural heritage of the temple town, would be held in Seoul and Gimhe cities of South Korea. In return, a ‘Korea Festival’ will be held in Lucknow and Ayodhya. South Korean’s believe that 2,000 years ago, an Ayodhya princess had married a Korean king Kim Suro. At present, their descendants are members of the “Crock Clan” and had built a memorial in Ayodhya.

SHB proposes building Ram Temple

UP Shia Central Waqf Board, unveiled a proposed solution for an out-of-court settlement of the Ram janma bhoomi-Babri Masjid case: a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya and a mosque in Lucknow. Ram Temple in disputed Ayodhya land and mosque in Lucknow. Shia Board said the state government may, in turn, allot one acre of land for a mosque for Shia Muslims in Lucknow’s Husainabad area.

Srirangam temple wins UNESCO award

Srirangam temple of Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu has won the UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Merit 2017 for cultural heritage conservation. The use of traditional methods in renovating temple and re-establishment of rainwater harvesting and historic drainage system were the main reasons behind getting the award. It has become the first temple in Tamil Nadu to be given the prestigious award.

World’s tallest statue of Shivaji

A 210-meter-high statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is being built in the sea off the Mumbai coast. It will be the world’s tallest statue, once built. Currently, the Spring Temple Buddha statue, which stands at 208 metres in China, is the world’s tallest statue. Shivaji Bhonsle, also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian warrior king and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan

Modi’s temple to be built in Meerut

Follower and supporter of PM Narendra Modi, J.P.Singh, announced that, a temple is to be built in honour of PM Narendra Modi in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. The temple will have a 100 ft statue of Modi. Other temples built in India for politicians and celebrities are Temple for Sonia Gandhi in Telangana, Temple for Sachin Tendulkar in Bihar and Temple for Amitabh Bachchan in Kolkata.

Meenakshi temple pips Tirupati

Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai has been adjudged the cleanest iconic place in India under Swachhta Hi Seva programme. Temple earned the top slot from among 10 iconic places selected under Swachh Bharath Mission. As part of the recognition as Swachh Iconic Place, a project has been conceived to clean the periphery of the temple, it is sponsored by BPCL as part of CSR activity.

Memorial for Sikh ‘Dharmi Faujis’

The Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandak Committee has announced that it would set up a memorial in the memory of ‘Dharmi Faujis’ – Sikh soldiers in the Indian army who committed mutiny during Operation Blue Star. SGPC had recently decided to set up a gallery on the premises of Golden Temple for the militants and devotees killed. Operation Blue Star was conducted between 1–10 June 1984.

Lost temple discovered after 1,000 years

Archaeologists have excavated a temple, Fugan temple in China’s Chengdu city around 1,000 years after it was deemed to have been lost. It lasted from Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420 A.D.) to Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 A.D.) Archaeologists unearthed 1000+ tablets inscribed with Buddhist scriptures and over 500 pieces of stone sculpture as well as glazed tiles with inscriptions.

Elphinstone renamed ‘Prabhadevi’ station

The famed Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and headquarters of the Central Railway has been renamed by adding ‘Maharaj. Western Railway’s Elphinstone Road station has been rechristened as ‘Prabhadevi’ station. The new name ‘Prabhadevi’ is dedicated to Goddess Prabhavati Devi, whose 12th century idol is installed in the modern temple, now over three centuries old.

1000 yrs celebration of Ramanujacharya

In Tamil Nadu, various functions are being organized to culminate the the 1000 years celebration of Vaishnavite saint Sri Ramanujacharya. The 1000 year celebration of Sri Ramanujacharyar was started in May last year. The divine body of Sri Ramanuchajaryar is said to be preserved in sannidhi inside Srirangam Ranganathar swamy temple. Renzi regains party leadership in Italy. Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has regained the leadership of the governing Democratic Party (PD). The victory propels him back to the forefront of national politics. Renzi resigned as Prime Minister and party leader after his constitutional reform plan was rejected in a national referendum in December. Renzi will now be preparing his centre-left PD for parliamentary elections

Guwahati declares ‘silent zone’

Guwahati has declared a radius of 100 metres from “all prominent religious places” including temples, mosques, gurudwaras and churches — as a “silent zone”. The notification states that officials of PWD have been asked to place proper signs in the notified areas. The issue of loudspeakers being used at places of worship was the subject of a heated debate on social media recently

Country’s first village of books

India’s first village of books will open on May 4 in Panchgani, Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra. The Maharashtra government has got 75-odd artists to paint the walls of the 25 premises at Pustakanche Gaon (village of books). The village includes nearly 25 premises, which include 3 temples, 2 schools, 7 houses and several lodges and homestays spread on a stretch of 2 km in Bhilar village.

Padayani Dance

Padayani festival was recently celebrated in Kerala. Padayani is a traditional folk dance and a ritual art from the central portion of the Indian state of Kerala. A ceremonial dance involving masks, it is an ancient ritual performed in Bhagavati temples. Padayani was performed by magico-medicine men of Kerala to heal the illnesses not amenable to medical modalities of intervention.

Inclusion of Cities in World Heritage

Five Indian cities have been included in the Tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, namely, Historic City of Ahmadabad, Delhi-A Heritage City, Jaipur City, Rajasthan, Ekamra Kshetra- The Temple City, Bhubaneswar and The Victorian & Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai. All the required information for Tentative list proposals has already been submitted to UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

Pawan Hans to launch its “Delhi Darshan”

National chopper operator Pawan Hans is set to launch its “Delhi Darshan” rides from 1st April. At the inauguration of its first helipad in North Delhi’s Rohini area, company announced the roll out of Delhi Darshan rides. Through this ride the visitors can experience the breathtaking beauty through aerial view of Pritampura Tower, Majnu Ka Tila, Red Fort, Rajghat, Akshardham Temple.

Lotus Temple out of world heritage race

Delhi’s Lotus Temple will not be considered for a UNESCO world heritage site this year. India National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has conveyed to the ASI that they will not be submitting the Lotus Temple for the world heritage inscription for the year 2017-18. The only submission likely this year is the Ramappa Temple in Telangana.

Tamil Nadu Launches Mobile App Pinakin

Tamil Nadu government has launched a mobile application Pinakin to provide information of famous tourist destinations in the state. The app will provide information on other major tourist destinations in Tamil Nadu. Initially, it will cover world heritage tourist sites like Thanjavur Big Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Mamallapuram and Darasuram and soon include other places in the state.

Protests At Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Women wearing salwars and churidars entered the centuries-old Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram for the first time. The temple had, for the first time, allowed women to wear salwars and churidars inside its premises. The move was protested by many. Women were earlier allowed only in sarees, long skirts or dhoti.

Archaeologists Uncover 7000-yr Old City

In Egypt, archaeologists have unearthed a city dating back more than 7,000 years, containing houses, tools, pottery and huge graves. The discovery was made by an archaeological mission of Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry. The city lies by River Nile, close to the Temple of Seti the First in Abydos. Abydos is a place of many temples, and a capital in an early period of ancient Egyptian history.

Kerala Govt. Ditches Predecessor’s Take

Kerala govt. has told SC that women of all ages should be allowed into the famous Sabarimala shrine of Kerala. For centuries, women between 10 and 50 years have not been allowed in Sabarimala, a hilltop shrine that is among the most prominent of Kerala temples. The current LDF govt. has reversed the stand of the previous Congress-led government.

400-YEAR-OLD BAN ON WOMEN AT SHANI TEMPLE GOES

One of the major social evils that India has been trying to put an end to has been gender bias. There are several areas where this evil manifests itself from time to time. But on April 8, 2016, a breakthrough was witnessed when the renowned Shani Shingnapur Temple in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra lifted the 400-year-old ban on the entry of women at the sanctum after a fervent crusade by activists as well as court directions. As soon as the temple authroities announced the decision to allow the women to enter the core area of the shrine, female devotees entered the sacred area and offered worship. Significantly, the removal of the aforementioned ban coincided with the Gudi Padwa that marks New Year by the people of Maharashtra. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr. Devendra Fadnavis, welcomed the historic decision and said, “Discrimination on the basis of caste and gender should be eliminated from the minds of the people in keeping with the modern times.” He expressed the view that discrimination was newer part of Indian culture or Sanatana Dharma but was introduced later.

Fire crackers in Puttingal temple in Kerala

A massive fire triggered by fire crackers sweeps across the Puttingal temple in Paravaur of Kollam districts in Kerala, leaving over 100 dead and many more severely injured.

Shingnapur temple allows women

Breaking the centuries-old tradition, Shani Shingnapur temple trust announces that women will be allowed to enter the inner sanctum and offer prayers.

2 idols found at Srirangam temple

Two idols of Sri Chandrasekarar and Lord Ganapathy, along with five metallic plaques, were unearthed in the ‘prakaram’ of the Parthasarathy shrine at the Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam on Oct. 7. The Chandrasekarar idol measures 25 inches in height and theGanapathy idol 17.5 inches. Both have four arms each, and are mounted on ‘peetams’ (pedestals). The Chandrasekarar idol is on a circular ‘peetam’ and Lord Ganapathy on a lotus-shaped ‘peetam’. They could have been used as processional deities as they have been fitted with rod-like structures for tying the ropes at the front and rear sides. A ‘mazhu’ (axe) is found in the upper right arm of Lord Chandrasekarar and a deer in the left upper arm. The lower right arm is in ‘abhayahastham’ posture. The Ganapathy has an elongated trunk, up to the left arm.

Plan to improve amenities at Big Temple

A series of measures have been planned to improve the amenities and enhance infrastructure at the Big Temple. Priority will be given for removal of encroachments around Sri Brahadeeswarar Temple and the construction of a new bridge across the Grand Anicut to decongest the temple surroundings. The corporation and the State departments of Archaeology, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, Tourism and the Police would take concerted efforts to improve amenities at the Big Temple and the Rajagopalaswamy Beerangimedu and nearby areas.

Kumbakonam temples to get facelift for Mahamaham

An Kumbakonam gets ready for the celebration of the next ‘Mahamaham’, between February 13 and 22, 2016 (the festival recurs once in 12 years), the Tamil Nadu government has decided to renovate 69 of the 86 temples in the town, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa told the Assembly on Aug. 12, 2014. Seventeen were in good condition, and the rest would be renovated at a cost of ` 12 crore, she said.

Naganathaswamy temple is now a protected monument

The state government has ensured the protection of 1,000 year old Naganatha-swamy temple near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district that was facing demolition a year ago by declaring it a protected monument. Declared as an ancient monument last September, the Arulmigu Naganathaswamy temple at Manambadi Village, Tiruvidai Maruthur taluk, has been declared a protected monument under the Tamil Nadu Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological sites and Remains Act, 1966. A govt. order was passed on May 15, 2014 by the Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments Department which has been subsequently notified by the Governor.

An ancient RWH system going strong

While the district administration is stressing the need to implement rainwater harvesting systems in building across the district, a system, which is thousands of years old, continues to efectively function at the Meenakshi Sundareswaran Temple, Madurai. The ‘Pottramarai’ or Golden Lotus tank is one of the very few temple tanks in the water even after scarce rains and the scorching sun. There are pipe-like structures cleverly designed as pillars which take the water from the terraces in the temple during the rains to the underground channels. Water from near the ‘Sannadhis’, ‘Prahaaram’s and the Adi streets also drain into theunderground Channels that lead to the temple tank.

Chief Minister orders Srirangam temple renovation

The Sri Ranganathar Temple at Srirangam, the foremost ‘Vasihnavite Shrine, is set for extensive renovation at an estimated cost of ` 10.45 crore. The state govt. has given the green light for the renovation works that are to commence on June 3. The Sri  Ranganathar temple is a massive omplex with seven prakarams and 21 towers spread over 156 acres and nestling amid the Cauvery and the Coleroon.

Kedarnath Shiva temple opens after six months

The Kedarnath shrine in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, dedicated to Lord Shiva, opens for pilgrims after almost six months of closure.

New inscriptions confirm Manickavasagar built temple

Legend has it the Manickavasagar, one of the four Saivite Sevents constructued the temple at Avudaiyarkoil, known as Thiruperunthurai, in Pudukkotai district. Now the state Anchaeology department has stumbled upon inscriptions confirming that Manickavasagar, the Minister of Pandiya King Arimarthana Pandian, built the sanctum sanctorum and the Kanagasabha mandapam. “His contribution has been recorded in the form of a poem. This inscriptions, found in the Panchkshara mandapam of the temple built in the 16th century, also record that Thiruvarangam was inscribed on the walls” Manickavasagar belonged to the 9th century and was said to have used the money meant for buying houses for the covalry to construct the temple at Thiruperunthurai, one of the ports of the Pandiya Kingdom. Manickavasagar penned  Thiruvasagam and Thirupalliyazhuchi while camping in this temple and referred to it as Thiruperunthurai’.

Shore Temple gets facelift with paper pulp treatment

The archaeological survey of India has taken up paper-pulp treatment exercise at the Shore Temple complex in Mamallapuram, to get rid of salt particles deposited on the world heritage monument. The exercise of cleaning the Pallava era monument began with chemical water washing to remove dust and other deposits, and fungus or blackmoss formation due to vagarious of nature. After cleaning, paper-pulp coating will be applied on the surface in order to extract salt particles that might have penetrated the stones through minute pores caused by the corroding action of sand-bearing winds from the sea.

Excavation to start at Srirangam soon

The state Archaeology Department is soon to take up an excavation in the Ranganathaswamy Temple complex at Srirangam soon. The more followed the approved given by the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology recently to take up the excavation near the 1000 pillar mandapam and the ‘Manasveli’ in the fourth prakara of the temple. Sources said the department had sought permission for excavation work at three places.

Heritage conservation of 49 temples

The Nataraja (Sablanayakar) temple in Chidambaram, Ranganathasamy temple in Srirangam, Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple in Madurai, Kallazhagar temple in Azhagarkoil near Madurai and Devaraja-swamy temple in Kancheepuram are among 49 temples that have been sanctioned ` 2250 crore for hearitage concervation. The allocation have been made under a scheme being implemented with financial assistance from the 13th Finance Commission.

Stampede sparked rumours

More than hundred people are killed in a stampede sparked by rumours, at the Ratangarh madha Temple in Datia district of M.P.

Rare Chola paintings found in Thiruvottiyur temple

A photograph taken by a research scholar of the State archacology department on her mobile phone has helped unearth rare Chola-era paintings at an Adipuriswarar (Lord Shiva) temple in Tiruvottiyur. The findings, archaeologists said, were rare as this is the first time paintings of the Chola era have been discovered in Chennai, which experts believe was only a peripeheral part of the ancient dynasty.

3-tier security for Ramanathaswamy temple

The district police, Tamil Nadu commando Force and temple authorities have worked out a authorities have worked out a three-tier high-security arrangement for Sri Ramanathaswamy temple in the island of Rameswaram, roping in the Coastal Security Group, Indian Coast Guard and Naval detachment. A commando force team conducted a security survey in the temple this week in the wake of the recent serial blasts in Bodh Gaya. It has been decided to enhance the existing security and make it proof to prevent terror attack.

Kancheepuram civic body gets land for bus stand

The Kancheepuram Municipality’s initiative to secure around 50 acres of land at Sitherimedu near Kancheepuram on lease for setting up a modern bus stand has elicited favourable response. The civic body wrote a letter recently to the hereditary trustee of Kolla Singanna Chettiar Charitable Trust, Kancheepuram, Kolla Venkita Kannaiya Chettiar. The letter sought his consent to lease out 52.66 acres of land, abutting the Chennai-Bangalore National Highways and owned by the trust, to the construction of the bus stand.

Meenakshi Temple gets new flag most after 150 years

The temple city of Madurai witnessed a major religious event as the famous Meenakshi’s Amman Temple, Madurai got a new flag most (called Kodi Maram) after a gap of 150 yrs. In the presence of thousands of devotees who returned up to witness the sacred ceremony, temple priests performed Kumbabhishekam at around 5.45 a.m. for the 56 fast tall flag most made of high quality teakwood and covered with gold plating. Supported by the state govt’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments and Department and with the contributions from donors, the temple management took steps to replace the old flag most which lost its strength over the years.

Serial blasts rock the Bodh Gaya temple

Serial blasts rock the Bodh Gaya temple complex, the Buddhist holy site, in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, injuring two and sending shockwaves across the country.

Govt. takes over Jalakanteswarar Temple, Vellore

The Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Depts. took over the admin. of the Sri Jayalalithaa temple located inside the historic fort. This follows a govt. order dt. June 18 and the proceedings of the HR & CE commissioner P. Dhanapal issued, asking the Asst. Commissioner (AC), HR & CE, Vellore to take over the administration of the temple and assume change as “Thakkar” of the temple. Parivallal, AC, HR & CE, Vellore, posted a notice on the temple premises, declaring the temple takover. He also sealed the temple hundials.

NHAI spares 1000 year old temple

The National Highways Authority of India has decided to spare the 1000 year old Siva temple at Manampadi village near Kumbakonam while taking up road expansion under the Thanjavur – Vikkiravandi four-lone project. The decision will save the temple that was declared by state Archaeology Dept. as a protected monument 30 years ago.

Chola era temple facing threat of demolition

A thousand year old Siva temple at Manambadi village near Kumbakonam is facing the threat of demolition for expassion of a road under the expansion of aroad under the Thanjavur – Vikkiravandi four – way project of the National Highways Authority of India. The stone structure below the Vimana, with intricate sculptures, and the sanctum with a Sivalingam are intact. The temple has an enhance without a gopuram. The prahara has flower plants. A broken compound wall is also around the temple.

More aid for 1006 temples in SC/ST colonies

One thousand and six temples located in colonies of SC/ST would get higher financial assistance from the govt. for renovation. Each such temple would get a financial assistance of   50,000. Till now the assistance was 25,000 per temple. In the last two years 624 such temples were covered. The Chief Minister said the allocation would be   5.03 cr. this year for the purpose.

900 year-old temple to get new loose of life

Neglected over the years, a 900 year-old temple in Villupuram district is set to get a new lease of life with Chief Minister announcing   1 crore for its restorations. The derelict Mukyochaleeswar temple is situated atop a hill at Perumukkal village near Tindivanam, while Kanchi Samadha Ekambareswarar Temple is in the foothills. The temple atop the hill is under the control of the state Archaeology Department and the other one is maintained by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) Department.

Services of ancient temples’ guides to be regulated

Services of guides in ancient temples of the state are to be regulated with a view to providing authentic information on history, culture and tradition to visitors, especially foreign tourists. The guides will be accredited and their fee displayed in notice boards. In the first stage, the plan will be implemented in Ranganathasamy Temple, Srirangam; Arunachaleswara Temple, Tiruvannamalai; Thayumanaswamy Temple, Trichi; Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Madurai; and other temples in Tamil Nadu.

Madurai temple under security blanket

After a specific alert from central security agencies, the Meenakshi Sundereswarar temple, Madurai has come under security blanket. Based on the instructions from the office of D.G.P. steps had been taken to step up vigil in and around the temple. The Central security agencies had warned of a “possible attack by trained terrorists who may have infiltrated to target specific infrastructural facilities in the country like in the past”, he noted. In a bid to ensure that there was no let down, the present security arrangement was reviewed and adequate precautionary steps would follow with immediate effect, it was decided at a meeting.

Ancient temple to be refurbished

A 400-year old temple that Maratha King Chathrapathi Shivaji once visited is getting a makeover to restore it to its original grandeur. The Sri Kalikambal temple located in George Town, will be renovated and restored by over 14 Sthapathis who have arrived from all over the state to work on it. The Raja gopuram is being painted, the smaller shrines inside the temple for the parivara devathas including those of Lord Komateswarar, Ganesha and Murugan too are being given a new look.

Mamallapuram temple complex part of ‘Clean India’

The Union Tourim Ministry has selected the Mamallapuram temple complex, along with nine other heritage sites in the country,under its ‘Clean Index’ compaign. An official release said the Ministry facilitated the adoption of 10 important Archaeological survey of India monuments by the Institutes of Hotel Management and the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management under compaign clean India.

Meenakshi temple begins replacing damaged pillars

The Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Madurai began replacing the over 400 years old pillars that developed cracks in the South and East corridors surrounding its Golden Lotus Tank Under a   3.50 crore initiative that includes assistance from the Central Govt. In the initial phase, the temple ten pillars on the south corrider. Another set of ten pillars in the  corrider would also be replaced within the next six months. The entire project involves replacing 72 pillars in the two corridors and is expeted to take around a couple of years.

Protest against temple takeover holds up ASI hearing

Tension prevailed for sometime near the Sthalasayana Perumal temple at Mamallapuram as a group of people raised slogans against the “Exercise of verifying and recording the objections” undertaken by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), with respect to the proposal to bring this temple into the ASI fold.

Extra parking on temple lands for city residents

Looking for a parking space for that additional car? You can soon start scouting for temple lands in the city that are being converted into parking lots in your neighbourhood. The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department will soon start parking lots at Mylapore near the Srinivasa Sastri hall in Luz and two more in Vadapalani.

ISKCON temple inaugurated

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) inaugurated its new Sri Radha Krishna Temple at Akkarai in Chennai. Spread over an area of 1.5 acres, the temple has been constructed from devotees in Chennai. It has an auditorium for cultural and spiritual programmes and a “Prasadam” hall. Thousand of devotees witnessed the pran prateshta when the idols of Lord Krishna and Radha and their sakthis – Lalitha and Vishaka – were installed in one of the three beautifully carved teak wood altars in the temple hall. The other idols in the hall include those of Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nilyananda, Lord Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra.

TTD plans Balaji temples across country

In a bid to tackle overcrowding at the Tirumala hills as well as the please devotees across the country, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) is planning to build Venkateswara temples at various places. After recently opening on information centre at Amaravati, Maharashtra, the TTD is contemplating  building a temple in Mumbai to cater to the needs of devotees from Maharashtra. The temple may came up at Navi Mumbai, when the state govt. has agreed to provide  land free of cost, or on a private chunk of land at Chembur, which has a good number of South Indian devotees.

Dalits enter temple after more than two decades

The Dalits of Uthapuram village near Madurai, where the  ‘untouchability’ wall was demolished in 2008, entered a temple under the control of the upper caste Hindus, with Police Protection. Though scores of upper caste Hindus received the 11 Dalit persons outside the temple with folded hands, the scene was manned by the loud wails of women from the nearby streets, who were opposed to the entry of Dalits to their temple.

Meenakshi Temple to modify Golden Lotus Tank

The Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple at Madurai will undertake a project to ensure permanent water storage in its Golden Lotus Tank. At the request of the temple authorities, a team from Indian Institute of Technology Madras had conducted a detailed study of the temple tank and submitted a proposal, which was recently approved. Official sources told that a 50 lakh proposal was being contemplated for the purpose with funds likely to be sought from the Department of Tourism. The team has suggested a two-stage solution to store water at the tank.

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