TIRUCHY: In a move aimed at enhancing the grandeur of the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam and improving the experience of a night visit, the city corporation has installed 20 heritage-themed street lights along the one-kilometre stretch between Puli Mandapam and the Rajagopuram, which is the temple’s main entrance.
The structures with large bulbs mounted on ornate poles at a total cost of Rs 30 lakh are expected to be made functional in a few days, officials said. The action comes in the wake of residents seeking improved lighting around the Rajagopuram.
Of the temple’s 21 gopurams, the Rajagopuram is 236 feet tall, making it one of the tallest temple towers in Asia. It also comes at a time when the average daily visitor footfall – hovering over 5,000 and 10,000 – is expected to rise significantly in view of the Tamil month of purattasi. The corporation initiative is in addition to the HR&CE department sanctioning Rs 8.4 crore towards the installation of LED lighting in the major gopurams of the temple.
On the heritage-themed street lights, a corporation official said, "Unlike regular street lights, these have an antique appearance with larger bulbs and ornate poles. Similar lights have been installed near the airport and on the Chennai Trunk Road. The new lights will be operational soon, as some final work is still under way."
The old lights being mounted on pedestrian pathways made it difficult to repair them, prompting the installation of the new poles, the official pointed out. We are not stopping at this stretch. We plan to extend the heritage-themed lighting up to Amma Mandapam in the next phase. This expansion will further enhance the temple's surroundings and improve safety for devotees during evening hours, the official added.
On the initiative, M Ragavi, a local resident, said, "Usually, the temple’s inner beauty is what we admire. Now with these new lights outside, we will witness additional elegance. It enhances the traditional feel in the area and creates a welcoming atmosphere for everyone, especially during the evenings."
C Kannan, a devotee from Chennai, said, "Usually, we witness the temple's beauty right from Amma Mandapam -- the entrance pathway. With the traditional lights installed around the temple, the area will look even more vibrant and welcoming. I will definitely visit Srirangam once the lights are made functional to experience the new ambience."