State govt. taking steps to enable devotees to visit Kannagi temple on every pournami day, says HR&CE Minister
The annual Chitra Pournami festival was celebrated with gaiety and fervour at the Mangaladevi Kannagi Temple by a large number of devotees from Theni (Tamil Nadu) and Idukki (Kerala) districts on Monday.
Participating in the celebrations, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister P.K. Sekar Babu said the department would make all arrangements for the devotees to visit the Kannagi temple without any hassles. 'We have already initiated talks with Kerala government officials, and a letter too was handed over to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan,' he said.
The temple, which is situated between Tamil Nadu and Kerala, attracts devotees from far and near, and Chitra Pournami is celebrated in a grand manner every year. Forest Department officials from both the States make arrangements during this period by fencing the forest areas and ensure that the devotees have no threat from wild animals.
With the ever-increasing number of devotees visiting the temple, it has been proposed to build infrastructure facilities in a permanent manner, so that devotees may visit the temple on Pournami days throughout the year. The HR&CE Department is contemplating to build rest rooms (yatri nivas) for the people and also maintain the spot.
According to the legend, Chera King Senguttuvan built the shrine, and Chitra Pournami is being celebrated at the temple during the Tamil month of Chitirai by the people. The Minister was confident of smoothening the visit to the shrine without hassles for the devotees in the coming year.
He said the HR&CE Department and the Theni district administration had arranged food for 25,000 people in view of the festival. Apart from this, the devotees who reached the Kannagi temple on foot were provided food in Uthamapalayam and Kumily.
HR&CE Commissioner P.N. Sridhar, Theni District Collector Ranjith Singh, Superintendent of Police R. Shiva Prasad, Srivilliputtur Megamalai Tiger Reserve Deputy Director Anand, MP Thanga Tamil Selvan, MLAs N. Ramakrishnan, A. Maharajan, K.S. Saravana Kumar, and senior officials from the HR&CE, Forest, Revenue Departments participated.
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