CHENNAI: The department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) retrieved 1.5 crore worth temple land in Otteri as part of the ongoing drive to recover the temple properties from encroachment.

It was part of the department's ongoing drive to retrieve the properties of the religious institutions under its purview.

The officials retrieved a commercial complex, spread over 1,440 sq ft, of Arulmighu Chellapillaiyar temple in Otteri from the encroachers and handed it over to the temple administration, according to a statement from the department. The worth of the retrieved temple property is Rs 1.5 crore, added the release.

According to officials, the department has retrieved temple property worth more than Rs 5,650 crore since May 2021. Most of the property has been converted into revenue generating sources to aid the department's efforts to renovate and restore the ancient temples.

Recently, the department had taken up work to convert a portion of the Kancheepuram Ekambaranathar temple located along the Poonamallee High Road in Kilpauk for commercial purposes.

The land would be rented to host private programme to generate revenue for the temple.