Latest news with #Arunachaleshwara
The Hindu
22-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Tiruvannamalai Corporation to build multi-level car parks for pilgrims near Arunachaleshwara temple
The Tiruvannamalai Corporation plans to set up multi-level modular car parking facilities, mainly for pilgrims, near the Arunachaleshwara temple to prevent haphazard parking on the town's key stretches and narrow streets. Officials said the civic body had selected at least five spots near Mada Streets around the temple for the new facilities as it would be convenient for visitors to have a place to park their vehicles safely. A nominal fee will be charged for the use of the facilities. 'Modalities of the new facility are being worked out. The estimated cost of the new multi-level parking will be around ₹1 crore,' S. Selva Balaji, Commissioner, Tiruvannamalai Corporation, told The Hindu. At present, Tiruvannamalai town gets around 3 lakh visitors on Chitra Pournami days and 1.5 lakh tourists on weekends. During the Maha Deepam festival last December, around 40 lakh visitors came to the town. Most pilgrims, especially from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, come in cabs and cars. Residents said many cars that had other State number plates were parked on the town's key stretches and narrow streets. Such illegal parking is causing traffic congestion, locals said. 'Most of these vehicles are parked during night to evade traffic police and residents' attention. Due to the blocked roads, ambulances have sometimes had trouble reaching patients during emergencies,' said P. Bhaskan, secretary, Tiruvannamalai All Traders' Association. Officials said that the the parking facilities would afford better utilisation of the available space. The new facility will be modular, which is a detachable one. Such a modular parking facility can be relocated depending on needs during festival seasons, such as Maha Deepam. Most of the open land within civic body limits comes under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department. Revenue officials have also removed encroachments on 9.5 acres, which belongs to the HR and CE Department, on the Girivalam path. A rent-free land will be provided for the new facility. Each facility will have 10 floors with on an average 10 vehicles can be parked on each floor. As per traffic police study, around 200-300 cars come to the town every day on pilgrimage. Such a parking facility will decongest the town and offer more space for both pedestrians and motorists. Other vehicles including tourist vans and buses will be allowed to park on designated temporary parking lots on the outskirts of the town.
The Hindu
25-04-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Encroachments around Arunachaleshwara temple in Tiruvannamalai demolished to facilitate drain work
Encroachments, mostly houses and petty shops, were demolished around Arunachaleshwara temple in Tiruvannamalai town, to facilitate construction of storm water drain on key stretches around the temple on Friday. The massive exercise was being taken up with the help of officials of State Highways, the executing agency, along with officials of Tiruvannamalai Corporation and revenue department besides the local police personnel. Most of the encroachments, around 160 structures, on these stretches had been built over two decades ago. The razed structures are mostly extensions of houses and commercial establishments that have been built on the existing narrow drain on these stretches. 'Illegal construction on these stretches, especially around the temple, has affected traffic movement, especially ambulances. The demolition exercise is also part of efforts to create more road space for visitors during Chitra Pournami festival, to be held on May 11 and 12. The drive will continue for the next few days,' S. Anbarasu, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), State Highways (Tiruvannamalai), told The Hindu. Officials said that the demolition drive was also meant to restore the original width of the existing stretches around the temple as most of the encroachments were built on it. The encroachments, mostly concrete structures, blocked free flow of excess rainwater on old narrow drains during monsoon. It has resulted in waterlogging in the town. Officials of the State Highways said that construction of new wide storm water drains on both sides of key stretches is part of the Rs 15-crore concrete road works on these routes. Some of the stretches include Kattabomman Street, Draupathi Amman Street, Ramalingam Road and Rajagopuram Road. Each drain is three feet wide and four feet deep. The new drain is being laid after revenue officials marked the extension of encroached space on these stretches that have to be demolished for drain work. Of total 800 metres of encroached space, demolition have been completed to a distance of around 250 metres on these stretches so far. Formed part of the 14-km-long girivalam path, the stretches around the temple, a distance of 1.7 kms, gets around 20,000 footfalls every day. The stretches connect the temple with the rest of the town. During Karthigai Deepam festival, the temple car is pulled on these stretches as part of the celebrations. The work is being done under the Chief Minister Road Development Project (CMRDP) 2024-25. As part of ensuring safety of pilgrims during car pulling events as part of Karthigai Deepam festival, all overhead cables including Tangedco power lines and internet are being replaced with underground cables as part of the new drain work. Around 120 electrical poles on these stretches have been removed. Also, new water pipelines are also being done on both sides of the stretches to prevent road cutting works for household water connections.
