CHENNAI: A temple for Bharat Mata (Mother India), the wish of the late freedom fighter, Subramania Siva, is all set to become a reality soon at Papparapatti in Dharmapuri district, nearly after a century.
The foundation stone for this temple was laid by the late freedom fighter, Deshbandhu CR Das, on June 23, 1923. Freedom fighters, decades ago, felt that Bharat Mata is the national personification of India as a mother goddess.
Information Minister Kadambur Raju on Monday announced in the Assembly that this temple would come up at an expenditure of Rs 1.5 crore.
Decades ago, Subramania Siva purchased a half-acre land in Papparapatti for building this temple but he died before his dream materialised.
The State government had already constructed a memorial at Papparapatti in honour of Siva.Former TNCC president Kumari Ananthan, who has been demanding for a long time that this temple should be built at Papparapatti, told Express “I welcome this announcement and I thank the government for the same.”
TMC leader BS Gnanadesikan, who had also made the similar demand, has a special connection with this because Subramania Siva was born in Batlagundu in Dindigul district, which happens to be the native place of the former.
Gnanadesikan told Express “It is a long time demand of Gandhians. I welcome measure by the State government. It is not a religious symbol. It is a symbol of national unity. For anyone who feels proud about India, this temple will be a place to visit.”
Kumari Ananthan, one of the Congress leaders, undertook many padayatras demanding the construction of this temple in the past.In 2013, he requested the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in this regard.
Though she agreed to fulfil this, the demand was remaining unfulfilled.