Four golden cars, seven silver cars of temples to be dedicated before December-end, says Minister

The Hindu

08-07-2025

Four golden cars and seven silver cars of the temples will be ready and dedicated to the shrines before December-end, Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment P.K. Sekar Babu has said.
Speaking to reporters after inaugurating the 'Aani' car festival of Swami Nellaiyppar – Gandhimathi Ambal Temple here along with Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu on Tuesday, Mr. Sekar Babu said 134 cars for 130 temples across Tamil Nadu were being made at the cost of ₹75 crore even as renovation of 72 temples had been taken-up on an outlay of ₹19 crore. Sheds for parking 197 wooden cars of temples had been created at the expense of ₹30 crore to protect them from rain and shine.
Following appeals from the devotees, five golden cars costing ₹31 crore and nine silver cars on an outlay of ₹29.77 crore were being fabricated. Of this, the golden car of Periyapalayam Temple and the silver cars of Thiruttani and Kalikambal Temple, Chennai, had already been dedicated. Hence, the remaining golden and silver cars would be ready before December-end.
Moreover, Vettuvanam Ellaiyamman Temple in Vellore district would get the silver car soon, the minister said.
When asked about AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami's observation that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was suffering from 'panic fever' after seeing the massive turnout for his 'Save people, Redeem Tamil Nadu' election campaign which he kickstarted at Mettupalayam, Mr. Sekar Babu retorted that the DMK would retain power with the people's mandate even though the AIADMK – BJP combine, who were suffering from 'losing fever', were intimidating their political rivals with their CBI, Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax etc.
'None has the power to defeat the Democratic Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu,' Mr. Sekar Babu claimed.
He also blamed 'certain elements' for creating legal hurdles while the DMK government was carrying out development works in the temples. 'These forces even tried to stay through the courts even the consecration of Tiruchendur temple and are putting blocks for creating more facilities in the temples. But we'll smash all these hurdles,' he said.
The minister also informed that 1.50 lakh palm manuscripts in the temples across Tamil Nadu were being digitised and the palm manuscripts would be displayed in the districts from where they were recovered.
On the ongoing development works in Swami Nellaiyappar Temple, the minister said laying of tiles on the terrace of Amman Sannidhi at the cost of ₹1.43 crore and the renovation of the stone mandapam in the same area had been completed on an outlay of ₹99 lakh. The 'karu urumaari theerthakulam' renovation work had been initiated at the expense of ₹1.60 crore.
'The trial run of the 450 kg-silver car of Swami Nellaiyappar Temple, which is being made at the cost of ₹5 crore will be conducted before October-end. We've strengthened the temple's security arrangements by installing new CCTV cameras at the cost of ₹30 lakh. Since the shrine attracts more devotees during festivals, food will be served to 500 persons on special occasions against the regular number of 100,' Mr. Sekar Babu informed.
He also said cloak room (₹32.60 lakh) and toilets (₹14.70 lakh) had also been built in Swami Nellaiyappar Temple.