Govt. issues ₹18.10 cr. for construction of fire-ravaged temple mandapam

407-year-old Veera Vasantharayar Mandapam was destroyed on Feb. 2, 2018

MADURAI

The Tamil Nadu government has issued ₹18.10 crore to Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple administration to construct Veera Vasantharayar Mandapam, which was destroyed in a fire on February 2, 2018.

Temple Takkar (Fit Person) Karumuttu T. Kannan, in a press statement, thanked the government and said the temple administration received the funds to fully resurrect the mandapam and restore it completely.

“The portion which was destroyed was documented in detail along with drawings and detailed reports. The best sculptors from the State and experts from the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras drafted the plan for the restoration of the mandapam to its original form,” he said.

Stones for the work were brought from a quarry at Pattinam village in Namakkal district after obtaining permission from the State government, he said, adding the mandapam would be fully reconstructed in two years and reopened on the day of consecration of the temple.

The 407-year-old Veera Vasantharayar Mandapam covered an area of approximately 7,000 square feet on the eastern portion of the temple. Before the fire destroyed the structure, 40 shops were located at the entrance near Pudu Mandapam. The traders, like the 75 others in different parts of the temple, sold puja articles and plastic toys.

After the fire, all the shops on the temple premises were closed down. Subsequently, they were reopened after an order from the Madras High Court which stated that they could run their establishments until the temple administration provided them an alternative location.