Lack of parking lot remains a major issue in Srirangam

In the absence of dedicated parking lot, devotees are forced to park their cars along the interior streets of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam.

| Photo Credit: M. MOORTHY

Gone were days when devotees and pilgrims depended mainly on the public transports such as buses and trains to visit temples. The devotees now prefer to visit the places of worship by their own transport. With every passing day, the arrival of number of devotees visiting Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam continues to swell. But the pilgrim centre does not have an established parking lot.While devotees from far flung States prefer trains to visit Srirangam, several devotees from Tamil Nadu and the neighbouring States arrive in private cars or taxis. On an average about 600 cars and 150 buses carrying pilgrims arrive in Srirangam every day now.The first issue that the devotees on reaching the temple town is finding a place to park their vehicle. In the absence of parking lots, they park their vehicles at will. Vehicles are parked on both sides of the Amma Mandapam Road. Similarly, all Chithira and Uthirai Streets are used for parking vehicles.“The police have put up barricades and limit the entry of vehicles due to lack of parking spaces. We have no other option except to park along the roadsides,” says M. Dinesh, a devotee from Chennai.No land availableThere were many attempts in the past to establish parking lots in Srirangam. But none of them fructified. While the Tiruchi Corporation cites lack of a sizable plot for constructing the parking lot, the HR&CE department, which owns many large vacant sites in Srirangam and Thiruvanaikovil, has not been able to allot land for the parking lot.“If the Corporation does not have land, it is the duty of the temple administration to provide land for it. What is the use for keeping the sites vacant when there is a strong demand for providing parking lots to the devotees. Minister for HR&CE S. Ramesh, who is also the Srirangam MLA, should step in and resolve the long-pending issue,” says R. Rajesh, member, State Executive Committee, Congress, and a long time resident of Srirangam. Published - July 05, 2026 07:05 pm IST