TIRUCHY: The HR&CE department has been taking steps to introduce online booking for darshan in major shrines in the state on par with the Tirumala Tirupati darshan, announced Minister PK Sekarbabu on Thursday after inspecting the lift facility at the Arulmigu Swaminatha Swamy temple in Swamimalai.
"The DMK government is committed to providing all facilities to the devotees and the HR&CE department has been initiating steps to introduce online booking for all the major shrines, including the ones in Tiruchendur, Palani and Tiruvannamalai. The Chief Minister would soon launch the programme," the minister said.
After inspecting the Swamimalai facility worth Rs 3.55 crore, he also boasted that the Dravidian Model government would complete its 3,000th consecration with the consecration of Thirupugalur Arulmigu Agneeswarar temple in Nagapattinam. The Thirupugalur temple premises would soon have Avvaiyar Manimandapam, the office of executive officer and accommodation for archakars. The construction works would be completed by month end, he said. The lift facility at the Swamimalai temple will be functional from September.
Upholding values of equality, the minister said the government has appointed as many as 32 non-Brahmin archakars so far, and more appointments are on the anvil, he said.
Meanwhile, the minister said that the DMK government has a target of conducting consecration to at least 4,000 temples and renovating at least 10,000 temples across the state. "During the previous AIADMK government could renovate only 4,000 temples in 10 years. Chief Minister Stalin has created an environment of hassle-free darshan for all devotees, and thus he made a religious revolution in the state," he said.