Master plans to improve facilities and aesthetics will be prepared for all big and small temples in the State, Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) P.K. Sekarbabu said.
As a first step, 539 temples with an annual income of ₹10 lakh each would get the plans done. "Smaller temples can do little things that go a long way. These include improvement of lighting and keeping their premises clean. Last month, we had done a mass cleaning of all temples. That would be repeated every month," he said.
During inspections carried out over the last two months it was found that in many cases temples lacked necessary lighting. “We can light temples in a manner that the architectural and heritage aspects are highlighted,” he said. In a detailed set of instructions issued recently, the department told officials that any changes to existing structures, including painting or placing granite, would have to be done after due consultation with the respective sthapathi, Joint Commissioner and ASI experts.
