During the demand for grants to his department, the state HR&CE Minister Ramesh told the House that a central focus of the announcement is the restoration of ancient and dilapidated shrines across Tamil Nadu.
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VENKATACHALAPATHY_C
In an effort to preserve religious heritage, renovate ancient shrines, and enhance amenities for devotees, the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (TNHRCE) department has unveiled a wide-ranging plan covering temple consecrations, heritage conservation, welfare schemes for temple staff, educational upgrades, and the preservation of devotional arts.During the demand for grants to his department, the state HR&CE Minister Ramesh told the House that a central focus of the announcement is the restoration of ancient and dilapidated shrines across Tamil Nadu."The state has allocated ₹125 crore from government funds to restore 64 temples that are over a thousand years old, alongside ₹7 crore sourced from donor and temple funds for five additional ancient temples", he said adding "a total of 150 fully or partially damaged temples will undergo phased reconstruction with an initial outlay of ₹85 crore.The minister said that to enrich the experience for visiting pilgrims, significant investments are planned for infrastructure and basic amenities."Landmark pilgrim hubs including Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai, Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple in Palani, and several others will receive upgrades such as mobile phone and footwear storage lockers, baby feeding rooms, long waiting queues with seating, shaded pathways, and modernized sanitation facilities", he said.Rounding out the initiative are cultural and ecological programs, including the re-launch of the temple elephant rejuvenation camp at Thekkampatti with ₹3 crore in state funding, the publication of 108 rare devotional Tamil texts (also free to download as e-books), virtual reality history halls in prominent temples, and annual folk art festivals celebrating village deities.Published on August 22, 2026
