A 'Soorasamhara' mandapam with Sannadhi for Lord Murugan and a 'Varisai' mandapam which reduces darshan waiting time for devotees to merely one hour from nearly 7 hours now are among the numerous amenities proposed at the ancient shore temple of Subrahmanya Swamy in Tiruchendur.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, who had approved the temple master plan for development, virtually inaugurated the renovation and infrastructure work taken up by the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) department to the tune of Rs 300 crore, from here on Wednesday.

A massive kitchen and a spacious 'Annadhanam' hall that could accommodate 1,000 people, 3 marriage halls with 300 to 500 seating capacity each, waiting hall for 1,500 people and a parking lot which can accommodate 1,200 two wheelers, 800 cars and 70 buses have also been proposed to be established. In addition, a tonsure shed to hold 200 people at a time, a health facility, promenades around the shore temple with greenery would be created and CCTVs installed.

"The master plan approved by the Chief Minister, takes into account the need to upscale amenities owing to increasing number of devotees visiting the shrine, which is the second abode of Lord Subrahmanya in the State and also the needs of devotees," Principal Secretary of Tourism, Culture and HR & CE, B Chandra Mohan said.

On an average about 8,000 devotees visit the temple on any given day and during weekends, it attracts about 25,000 people. Nearly 3 lakh devotees visit the temple during festival days.

Devotees from US, UK, Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, too, visit this temple glorified by saints including Adi Shankaracharya. About 3 lakh devotees stay at the temple and undertake a fast during the Skanda Shasti chanting festival, he said. State HR & CE Minister P K Sekar Babu, who had visited the temple, recently, had ordered the officials to improve basic amenities for devotees.

The present move gives effect to the Minister's announcement in the Assembly during the demand for grants to HR & CE department for 2021-22 fiscal that renovation and improvement works would be taken up at the Subrahmanya Swamy temple, Tiruchendur, in the southern coastal district of Thoothukudi. DMK Parliamentarian Kanimozhi, Chief Secretary Irai Anbu and HR & CE Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran were among those present on the occasion.

(With PTI inputs)