NAGAPATTINAM: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday virtually laid the foundation stone for a memorial dedicated to Sangam-era poet Avvaiyar in Thulasiyapattinam village near Vedaranyam in the district.
The manimandapam, expected to cost about Rs 19 crore, will honour Avvaiyar’s legacy and is expected to boost tourism in the region. According to the HR&CE department, the memorial is set to be built on a two-acre site near the Viswanathar temple, which houses a shrine dedicated to Avvaiyar.
Designed in the shape of a Tamil vowel, the memorial will be constructed in two phases. The first phase will include the main structure, a library, an auditorium, offices, and quarters for priests. The second phase will focus on park construction, pond restoration, and installation of a life-sized bronze statue of Avvaiyar.
The project is expected to be completed in two years, an HR&CE official said. Avvaiyar is honoured with a ten-day festival in the Tamil month of Panguni. Since 2005, the state government has organised these celebrations.
But the manimandapam project, announced in 2022, fulfils a decade-long request by residents. KP Ambikapathi, district secretary of Tamil Nadu Kalai Ilakkiya Perumandram, said, “This memorial will enhance tourism in Thulasiyapattinam, making it a notable cultural destination alongside places like Nagore and Velankanni.”