Poor upkeep of Veerappur temple draws flak from devotees

Poor upkeep of Ponnar-Shankar Temple, besides known arsenic Periakkandiamman Temple, astatine Veerappur connected the outskirts of Mannapparai, has drawn flak among the devotees.

The temple has a beardown pursuing from occidental districts, chiefly Coimbatore, Karur, Erode, Namakkal, Salem, and Dindigul. Periakkandiamman is the “kula deivam” (family deity) for galore successful Tiruchi, Madurai, and Pudukottai districts arsenic well.

The temple, associated with the past of Ponnar and Shankar, warrior brothers who lived betwixt 990 and 1020 CE, attracts thousands of devotees successful March, April, July, and different auspicious days and holidays.

While Goddess Periakkandiamman, presiding deity of the temple, blesses the devotees from wrong a factual building, respective different deities successful lasting postures bash not person factual structures. The temple authorities person begun renovation enactment up of the maha kumbhabhishekam. It is said that a fewer donors person travel guardant to instrumentality attraction of each civilian works. Construction of Raja Gopuram astatine the entranceway of Periakkandiamman temple is among the projected works.

However, devotees and section residents accidental that determination is nary program to amended basal facilities specified arsenic sanitation, drinking h2o facilities, tonsure mandapam, and lighting arrangements.

“The fig of devotees visiting the temple keeps connected expanding rapidly. Absence of basal facilities occupation the devotees. There is an urgent request for a broad program to make each basal infrastructure. They should beryllium created on with the ongoing renovation work,” said K. Manoharan, a devotee from Karur.

Pointing retired the encroachment and concern of nationalist abstraction by section traders astatine the Mahamnu sannathi, helium said that the temple had capable land. Permanent shops should beryllium constructed and the encroachment cleared.

Another devotee said the premises looked soiled with garbage strewn everywhere. Moreover, the devotees were being subjected to indiscriminate fleecing by a conception of priests and unauthorised persons, who assertion to beryllium priests. There were astir 50 priests astatine immoderate fixed time. Devotees were being fleeced successful astatine slightest 10 locations, the devotees said.

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment, which has supervisory powerfulness of the temple, should transportation a elaborate survey implicit the mediocre attraction strategy of the temple truthful arsenic to streamline the functioning, they demanded.