Work to lift gopuram of Sri Kalikambal Temple in Chennai begins

To forestall flooding astatine the Sri Kalikambal Temple successful Mannady, Chennai, the five-tier Rajagopuram is being lifted by 3 feet. Work to elevate the operation utilizing jacks began connected Sunday (December 7, 2025). Already, astir 25 temples successful the State, including the Raviswarar Temple successful Vyasarpadi, person been oregon are being lifted to forestall flooding.

The Kalikambal Temple is 1.5 ft little than Thambu Chetti Street, connected which the gopuram is located. After the work, the archetypal measurement of the temple would beryllium much than a ft supra the tallness of the engaged thoroughfare.

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P.K. Sekarbabu, who laid the instauration for the work, said the lifting would assistance widen the beingness of the uncut granite structure, and forestall h2o from entering the temple, which is located successful a precise congested locality, from wherever rainwater flows into the temple owing to the tallness of the roadworthy having been accrued implicit the years.

The enactment is being carried retired arsenic portion of the renovation of the temple – wherever Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji is said to person prayed – astatine a outgo of ₹2.33 crore.

Works, specified arsenic the renovation of the main shrine, water-proofing, cleaning, re-laying of flooring, and painting, are to beryllium completed earlier the Kumbabhishekam slated for March 2026.

The lifting unsocial volition instrumentality astir 2 months and outgo ₹40 lakh. According to Surender Kumar of Mamchand House Lifting Company, the gopuram is made of granite and is estimated to measurement astir 500 tonnes. The main mandapam of the temple is connected to the gopuram. That volition beryllium dismantled earlier the lifting commences.

“To support the archetypal quality of the practice structure, we volition not usage cement mortar but lone reddish bricks, lime, jaggery and kadukkai powder. At the bottommost of the entrance, lone unsmooth uncut granite matching the remainder of the gopuram volition beryllium used,” helium explained.