Renovation work at Madurai Meenakshi Temple progressing at brisk pace

A senior official from the HR&CE Department told The Hindu on Monday (January 19, 2026) that after the Tamil Nadu government gave its approval for the continuance of the same office-bearers, led by a Board of Trustees whose chairperson is Rukmini Palanivelrajan, the ‘tirupani’ was reviewed at a meeting.

The most challenging work, as part of the renovation, was the rebuilding of the historic Veera Vasantha Rayar Mandapam, which was destroyed in a fire in February 2018. The damage was so extensive that shops were gutted, pillars destroyed, and the roof tiles had to be replaced. The officials, in consultation with technocrats from IIT, Madras, had procured granite pillars, and so far, 41 of them have been installed. “This was a major task. Getting pillars of the same size and with other identical specifications was time-consuming,” the senior official said.

Likewise, the laying of nearly 2.50 lakh roof tiles is under way above the Amman and Swamy Sannidhis. All the gopurams, including the four nine-tier towers, will be made over. Additionally, the pillars inside the temple are being cleansed.

The temple, which has about 50 CCTV cameras, would get another 75 cameras installed at different locations for security and safety purposes.

Apart from the work under way ahead of the ‘kumbabhishekam’, the officials said that they have enhanced the process of cleaning at night around the temple. For the first time, the parking slot at the Ezhu Kadal commercial complex, which belongs to the temple, was auctioned publicly.

The commercial complex at Ellis Nagar has been upgraded to three-phase electricity. Steps are being taken to make good use of the temple properties in Ponmeni and other locations in Madurai city. The temple has appointed six guides, and the training of archakars and oduvars has resumed.

The ‘madapalli’ (kitchen) will be given a facelift by replacing the old system of using wood for cooking purposes with an eco-friendly facility.

Thanking Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, HR&CE Minister P.K. Sekar Babu, and Ministers P. Moorthy and Palanivel Thiaga Rajan for extending their support in carrying out the ‘tirupani’, the trustees said that they were confident of completing the remaining 10% of the work soon, in accordance with the ‘agama’ sastra.