The Samayapuram Mariamman Temple glows in colourful lights.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Devotees visiting the Sri Mariamman Temple in Samayapuram near Tiruchi can now enjoy a picturesque view of the temple in the evenings when its gopurams and other structure are aglow with colourful illumination.

A decorative illumination system has been commissioned at the temple, which attracts a large number of devotees right through the year, at an estimated cost of ₹2 crore.

HR&CE Minister P.K. Sekarbabu formally commissioned the decorative illumination system on Wednesday in the presence of senior officials.

Earlier, the Minister inspected Sri Jambukeswarar Akilandeswari Temple at Thiruvanaikovil and instructed officials to improve upkeep and sanitation at a few parts of the temple complex. He inaugurated a new office building of the HR&CE department at Andhanallur, built at a cost of ₹12 lakh; the annadhanam hall established at a cost of ₹38 lakh at the Kasi Viswanathar Temple at Pazhur; a cow shelter set up at a cost of ₹26 lakh at Uthamar Kovil and the office of the Executive Officer of the Neelivaneswarar Temple at Thirupainjeeli built at a cost of ₹39.50 lakh.

Arun Nehru, MP, Perambalur, P.N. Sridhar, Commissioner, HR&CE Department, and Pradeep Kumar, Collector, were present.

Avvaiyar memorial

On Thursday, Mr. Sekarbabu inspected the progress of construction of the mani mandapam being built for Tamil savant Avvaiyar at Thulasiyapattinam in Nagapattinam district at a cost of ₹18.95 crore. He instructed the officials to expedite the work.

Earlier, Mr. Sekarbabu, along with Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, participated in the kumbabishekam of the Sri Agneeswarar Temple at Thirupugalur.

The temple, which is under the Velakurichi Adheenam, has been renovated at a cost of ₹1.52 crore and this was the 3,000th temple kumbabishekam performed since the DMK came to power, he said and added that the figure would touch 3,500 by the end of the year.

The government, he said, had provided ₹425 crore as grants for performing kumbabishekams of temples which were more than 1,000 years old.

At an event held at the Kayarohanaswamy Temple in Nagapattinam, the Ministers inaugurated the planting of the tree saplings associated with the 27 stars of the zodiac.