Idol Wing - Economic Offenses Wing

    Idol theft cases were investigated by a small team of officials in CB-CID till the year 1980. During the year 1980 there was a sudden increase in thefts of Panchaloga idols. The thefts of such idols from the temples affected the sentiments of the local people. A proposal was initiated by the Director-General of Police to re-organize the strength allotted for investigating the idol theft cases. The Government accepted the proposal, constituted Idol Wing CID Vide G.O.Ms.No.2098 Home (Police IV) Dept Dt. 7.10.1983, with 1 SP, 1 DSP, 5 Inspectors, 3 SIs, 4 HCs, 3 Gr.I PCs and 13 Gr.II PCs. The unit functions from the Head Quarters, Chennai.

          In the year 2000, CB-CID was bifurcated and Idol Wing was brought under the control of Economic Offences Wing in accordance with the order issued in the Chief Office Proceedings Rc.No.RAI (2)/273552/98 dt.30.12.1999.

          At present Idol Wing CID is headed by DIG-Idol Wing and assisted by one DSP and 5 Inspectors of Police.

Primary functions of the Idol Wing CID

• To investigate cases of theft of idols and antiques exceeding value of Rs.5 Lakhs.
• To investigate idol theft cases referred to it by the State Government.
• To co-ordinate in the investigation of important idol theft cases handled by the District Police
• Collection of intelligence on nefarious activities of antique dealers and art collectors.

The Antiquities And Art Treasures ACT, 1972

          This Act is enacted to regulate the export trade in antiquities and art treasures, to prevent smuggling of and fraudulent dealings in antiquities.

Important Sections

Section 2 (1) – ‘Antiquities’ - which have been in existence for not less than 100 years Viz.,
            a. Sculptures in stone, terracotta, metals, ivory.
            b. Painting in paper, wood, cloth, skin etc
            c. Manuscripts

Section.3: It is unlawful for any person, other than the Central Government or any authority authorized by Central Government to export antiquity or art treasure.

Section.5: Antiquities to be sold only under a licence.

Section.14: Any person who owns controls or is in possession of any antiquity shall register the same before the registering officer and should obtain a certificate.

Section.25 : If any person exports or attempts to export any antiquity or art treasure is liable for punishment for a term not less than 3 months which may extend to 3 years and with fine.

Name & Designation of the officers	Telephone Numbers
Thiru. A.G.Ponn Manickavel. IPS., Deputy Inspector General of Police Idol Wing CID	Office    + 91 – 44 – 2622 0313
Tr. S. Selvaraj, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Idol Wing CID	+91 94443 63156
Tr. M.V. UDHAYAKUMAR, Inspector of Police Administration Idol Wing CID	+91 98407 70087
Office Address	No. C-48, IInd Avenue, TNHB Complex, 3rd Floor, Anna Nagar, Chennai – 600 040. Tamil Nadu, India. +91 – 44 – 2622 03 31

e-mail : idolwing@tn.gov.in

HEAD QUARTERS & DISTRICTS

Name & Designation of the officers	Telephone Numbers
ADGP - EOW	044 - 26220307
IGP - EOW-I	044 - 26220308
Tmt. Z.Annie Vijaya, SP - CCIW	044 - 26220313

E-Mail :cciw@tn.gov.in

Deputy Superintendents Of Police - CCIW

SNo	Name	Sub-division/District	Office No
1	Tr.	Chennai	9940144944
2	Tr.R.Tamilarasan	Thanjavur	04362-200379
3	Tr.Bhackthavasam	Salem	0427-2331165
4	Tr.V.Muthusamy	Coimbatore	0422-2217271
5	Tr.Pon Sivanandam	Madurai	0452-2562626
6	Tr.C.Xavier Edmond Ravi kumar	Tirunelveli	0462-2554300
7	Tr.K.Anbalagan	Vilupuram	04146-227302

Following sections of IPC are invoked for prosecuting accused involved in CCIW offences.

1	420 I.P.C.	:	Cheating
2	408 I.P.C	:	Breach of trust committed by clerk or servant.
3	409 I.P.C.	:	Breach of trust committed by Public servant or Banker or Merchant or Agent.
4	466 I.P.C.	:	Forgery of Records of Court or Public Register.
5	467 I.P.C.	:	Forgery of Valuable Security, will etc.
6	468 I.P.C.	:	Forged for the purpose of Cheating.
7	471 I.P.C.	:	Using forged document as genuine.
8	477 I.P.C.	:	Falsification of Account.
9	120B I.P.C	:	Conspiracy

6 held with Panchaloha idols worth Rs 20 crore

CHENNAI: The Idol Wing of the Economic Offences Wing seized four panchaloha idols worth Rs 20 crore and arrested six persons in Sivaganga district on May 20. They were planning to sell the temple antiques abroad.

At a joint press conference, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Board Commissioner J Chandrakumar and Economic Offences Wing IGP Arumugam said two panchaloha idols of Shiva, as well as those of Parvati and Sivagami were found during renovation work carried out by the HR & CE at a Siva temple in Thiruvatchi village in Devakottai, Sivaganga district.

The ‘stapathi’ Nagaraj (40) hid the four idols and later enquired about its value from his friend Balakumar, who claimed that it could be around `20 crore.

Deciding to sell the antique idols, the duo approached the retired village administrative officer of Ilupur village near Pudukottai, Jayaraman, in this connection who offered to help them in selling the idols for a commission, officials said. On receiving a tip-off about the proposed plan, four special teams under DSP (Idol Wing) Selvaraj were formed and they intensified surveillance in the area. On May 20, when the special teams were conducting vehicular checks at Devakottai, they intercepted a car.

A search of the vehicle yielded the four panchaloha idols. The occupants of the car Nagaraj and his associates Balakumar (39), Gopal (29), Kannan (29), Kulandaivelu (44) and Muthukumar (20) were arrested.

A hunt was on to nab six others including retired Village Adminstrative Officer (VAO) Jayaraman, the IGP said. The idols were handed over to the HR&CE chief, who said that CCTVs and alarm bells had been installed in 38,491 temples and a special cell had been set up to protect idols.

He added that a special report on the issue of idol thefts had been prepared by the board and it would be submitted to the State government soon.

Rules for Temple Fests�������� �

In view of the increasing number of accidents during temple chariot festivals, Chandrakumar said the temple committees must secure a clearance certificate from the Public Works Department about the safety of the chariots three months before the event.

There were 987 chariots and 278 of them were being maintained by the board. “We have sent a circular containing 34 rules to the district collectors and temple managements,” he said.

“The chariot processions must be conducted between 6 am and 6 pm and not during the night,” he added.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/6-held-with-panchaloha-idols-worth-rs-20-crore/260939-60-118.html  

Rs 300 crore of temple land retrieved

CHENNAI: Within a year of assuming power, the AIADMK government has retrieved temple land worth Rs 300 crore, which had been encroached upon, and returned the land to the respective temples. This has been possible only because of the serious efforts taken by the government.

As many as 169.14 acres of land, 17 grounds and 474 sq ft of plots and buildings in an area of 29,133 sq ft have been retrieved from encroachment.

In the heart of Chennai, five grounds and 1,073 sq ft of land worth `25 crore located in Raja Annamalaipuram, belonging to the Sri Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore has been retrieved. Similarly, 16.48 acres of land belonging to the Vinayakar temple in Kottapatti village in Omalur taluk in Salem district has also been retrieved from encroachers.

In yet another incident, 49.46 acres of land belonging to the Kandasamy temple in Chengleput taluk at Thiruporur and Edayankuppam was retrieved from encroachers on May 2.

When Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa came to know that 4.78 lakh acres of land owned by temples were under the control of the HR and CE Department but their full details were not available with the department, she ordered that a database be created for the land of 2,000 temples which have large assets.

During the just-concluded Assembly budget session, HR and CE Minister MSM Anandan introduced a Bill in the State Assembly which brings the samadhis and brindhavans under the department.

The Bill said samadhis and brindhavans established in memory of a famous guru, sadhu or saint were worshipped as places of public religious worship and that these places have acquired the status of religious institutions owning vast properties besides attracting large number of worshippers.

Barring a few, most of the samadhis and brindhavans are not covered under any law. Therefore, for effective supervision, the government has decided to include samadhis, brindhavans and other institutions under the definition of the term ‘religious institution’ as per the HR and CE Endowments Act.

Herculean task ahead for the authorities

The HinduInformative: A board displaying the details of rent due by tenants of Kapaleeswarar Temple. Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

An old-fashioned bungalow stands on the banks of the Adyar River on a sprawling five grounds. Located at the end of Bughs Road, beyond the Sundaram Temple at R.A. Puram, not many know of its existence. But it is a wellknown shooting spot and a much sought after destination of the directors of TV serials and feature films.

Today the bungalow is in possession of the authorities of Kapaleeswarar Temple, Mylapore. “It is our property and has been so right from 1958,” says A.T. Paranjothi, DC, HR & CE. Tracing its history, he says: “About 19 grounds (land was given to the temple by Bughs, a military personnel) was rented out to Krishnaveni, actress, in 1958 for a rent of Rs. 180. Later on n 1975 the rent was revised to Rs. 400. She did pay the rent till the temple authorities revised

the scale to Rs. 6,400 (commercial rent) as she was using the area for shooting purposes. So in 1989 the authorities filed a case against her and asked her to hand over the property to the temple. In 1994 the judgment was delivered in

favour of the temple. She fought many legal battles. Between 2002 and 2008, the authorities tried to evict the family but she and her daughter Anuradha Devi raised objections. Execution petition of the eviction was pending in the court till 2011 and finally after obtaining orders from the court at the fag end of the year, we recovered five grounds and 1.073 sq ft of land on Dec. 9, last year.

“While six grounds have been encroached by a single person (who has built residential buildings here), five grounds have been handed over to MRTS and the rest have been encroached by slum dwellers. Steps will be taken to evict them too,” says Mr. Paranjothi. According to him, history says that about 299 grounds of land were given to Kapaleeswarar Temple in 1952 by Mr. Bughs before he moved to England.

Another major recovery made by the HR & CE is a building in Kapali Nagar, opposite to Saibaba Temple on Venkatesa Agraharam. “We caught a tenant when he was trying to sublet his residence. Fearing criminal proceedings, he handed over the property to the temple,” says Mr. Paranjothi.

The Aavin parlour on R.K. Mutt Road near the bus stand was actually functioning on temple land for which it was paying no rent. The authorities issued eviction notice and the property was handed over the temple by the end of 2011.

There are 20 major defaulters — ordinary residents to private companies — who have dues running into

lakhs of rupees. “All of them will be penalised if they do not pay a fair rent and will be evicted if they refuse to,” says the DC. The temple has a lot of property donated to it by the Cholas, Pandiyas and Pallavas. At present, a number of tenants are using them for commercial and residential purposes. The rent was fixed by trustees, decades ago. Some were given on a 99-year lease, others for 50 years while some on a monthly basis. There were no proper guidelines until 1998. Depending on whether they were commercial, noncommercial or residential, rent was fixed, based on the market value. A Government Order, stating that the fares would be revised once in three years by 33.33 per cent, was issued. But as the tenants raised objections another G.O. reducing the rental rate was issued in 2007.

Based on this, the Government has ordered the HR & CE to track and penalise the defaulters and recover properties. Notices have been issued to all of them. While some have approached the judiciary, others have agreed to pay. “Properties worth more than 20 crores are yet to be recovered. It is a Herculean task and I hope to execute it to the best of my ability,” concludes Mr. Paranjothi.

TN to amend HR and CE Act

The Tamil Nadu government today proposed amendments to a 1959 act governing temples seeking to bring 'samadhis' and 'brindavans' under its ambit for effective control. The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Act 2012, moved by HR and CE Minister MSM Anandan in the state Assembly said samadhis and brindavan were not covered under the Act of 1959. "The samadhis and brindavan established in memory of famous guru, sadhu or saint are being worshipped as a place of public religious institution. These institutions have acquired the status of religious institution and own vast property besides attracting large number of worshippers," it said. Though some of them were registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975, they were not being controlled effectively under the same. The government had for effective supervision decided to include samadhis and brindavan, where there is public worship, under the definition "religious institution", under relevant sections of the Act and bring suitable amendment to define "persons having interest" in such religious institution, it added. Source: http://www.business-standard.com/generalnews/news/tn-to-amend-hrce-act/8663/

Tamil Nadu proposes 17-member panel to preserve heritage buildings

Eminent person who has concern and commitment for heritage conservation will head the panel

An eminent person who has concern and commitment for heritage conservation will head a 17-member Tamil Nadu Heritage Commission, according to a Bill introduced in the Assembly on Monday.

Except for nominees of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage and the Tamil Nadu region of the Institute of Town Planners (India), other members will be government officials or representatives.

Five secretaries of the departments of Tourism & Culture, Housing & Urban Development, Municipal Administration & Water Supply, Rural Development & Panchayat Raj and Law; Museum Commissioner; Archaeology Commissioner; Director of Environment; Chief Engineer (Buildings) in the Public Works Department (PWD); Senior Architect from the PWD and Director of School of Architecture and Planning, Anna University, will form part of the commission.

The State government will also nominate a person who is conversant with archaeology and another from any non-governmental organisation involved in heritage management and cultural affairs. The Superintending Archaeologist in the Chennai Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India will also be a member.

According to the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill, buildings or premises not covered under the Central and State Acts of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains will have to be protected. A statutory authority has to be constituted to advise the government in matters relating to identification, restoration and preservation of heritage buildings as also in such matters concerning the development and engineering options that are likely for any heritage building.

The HinduThe proposed Tamil Nadu Heritage Commission can take care of heritage structures such as the Deverajaswamy Temple in Kancheepuram (in picture), which are not covered under the existing laws on ancient monuments. Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

Essentially a recommendatory body, the commission will advise the government on a host of matters including the preparation of classification of buildings in certain grades of heritage buildings; alternation, modification or relaxation of any law for development, control and conservation of any heritage building and whether to allow commercial or other use of heritage buildings. It will also advise the government on guidelines to be adopted by private parties, which sponsor beautification schemes, and on penal measures for defacing or destroying a heritage building.

The proposed body will offer guidance to the government and local authorities on the making of provisions for restoration of heritage buildings and documentation of records of heritage buildings.

No local authority will be allowed to take steps for identification, preservation, conservation or restoration of heritage buildings not consistent with the determination or advice of the Commission.

Even though the Bill talks of the government and local authorities having to accept and implement the advice of the commission, the government, in the public interest, can call for and examine, on its own, any case of advice rendered by the commission. The government's decision will be final and binding.

An official said some aspects of the Bill have been drawn from the West Bengal Heritage Commission Act, 2001. The official added that one of the objectives of the proposed commission was to help authorities plan development in heritage towns such as Kancheepuram.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article3419255.ece?homepage=true 

Tamil Nadu to create database of 4.78 lakh acres of temple land

Chennai:  To check encroachment, the Tamil Nadu government has said that it will create a database of 4.78 lakh acres of temple land coming under its control.

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister MSM Anandan informed the state assembly that a software detailing movable and immovable property belonging to temples, mutts and trusts under the Ministry had been created for the purpose.

A database will be created for the benefit of officials to find the details of land and thereby prevent encroachment of temple lands and ensure their retrieval. The database will also help in collecting lease amounts on time, he said.

Mr Anandan was replying to the grants for his department for 2012-13.

The Minister proposed introducing Wind and Hybrid Solar Energy in select temples of the state, including the Aranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam, Dhandayuthapani Temple at Palani and Tiruchendur Subramanya Swamy temple, at an investment of Rs. five crore.

Chhattisgarh, a land of temples

Chhattisgarh, a State separated from Madhya Pradesh in year 2000 is very significant from religious views due to the existence of four Shakti Peeth and numerous temples as well. Bamleshwari temple, Mahamaya temple, Danteshwari temple and Chandrahasni temple are the four Shakti Peeths exists here.

According to mythology Goddess had self-immolated herself in the fire pit of yajna kund due to the disgust caused upon her consort Lord Shiva by her father. Agitated by this Lord Shiva destroyed the Yagya of Daksha and started doing Taandav with Sati's body in his hands. To minimise the grief of the Lord, Vishnu cut the dead body of the goddess and scattered at 52 different places, thus giving them a common name Shakti Peeths.

During Navratri huge mass of devotee's from around the nation turnout here to have a glimpse of deities and pay obeisance towards almighty. To appease goddess, devotees light Jyoti Kalash (earthen lamps) on the sacred occasion of Navratri. Moreover, people pay courtesy visits to goddess with the belief that the deity will fulfil their wishes and solve their problems.

Maa Bamleshwari Devi Temple is dedicated to Maa Bagulamukhi Devi who is a powerful manifestation of Goddess Durga. It is the prominent pilgrimage existing in Chhattisgarh which is located at Dongargarh 35 km from Rajnandgaon and 67 km from Durg. The name was derived from two words -dongarh meaning 'mountains' and garh meaning 'fort'. Temple is the most thrived celebrated shrine is located at 1,600 feet high on the hilltop. A tehsil headquarter, Dongargarh is the main tourist spot as well as pilgrimage of the district.

The temple is popularly known as Badi Bamleshwari. Another temple at ground level is situated about 1/2 km from the main temple premise is famous as Chhoti Bamleshwari. Around many hundred thousands of people from, in and around Chhattisgarh flock the shrine during the navratris of Kavar (during Dussera) and Chaitra (during Ramnavmi). At the time of navratris, fair are organise in the premises of the temple, which remain open for 24 hours.

To have the glimpse of goddess, devotees here have to climb a flight of 1100 stairs to reach the holy destination. It is believed that Raja Veersen, the then ruler of Dongargarh, in order to appease the God for his true successor, had built the temple 2,200 years ago. As time passed by the name got transformed from Maa Bagulamukhi to Maa Bamlai to Maa Bamleshwari as it is known today.

Shri Mahamaya Devi Temple is religiously celebrated, architecturally superb and culturally rich temple of Chhattisgarh situated at Ratanpur.

Today it is recognised as a major religious centre of the region, which also has national acclaim. Devotees visit Mahamaya temple throughout the year to offer prayers and seek blessings of the deity from far and wide. The temple has the dual idol of goddesses -

Saraswati and Laxmi.

Surrounded by lush green hills and housing more than 150 ponds, the town is flocked twice a year by hundreds of thousands of devotees every year, who visit here on the promising occasion of navratri to appease deity. Mahamaya Devi temple is situated at 25 km away from Bilaspur. The Mandir and the relics of scores of ancillary temples, domes, palaces and forts now rundown with passing time and natural forces, seem to tell a story of its existence. From many decades, the temple and the town attract the attention of huge numbers of historians and archaeologists.

On the auspicious occasion of navratri, devotees from all corners of the country and the world arrive here to perform religious rituals. Surrounding the main temple are many big halls where Jyoti Kalashas are lit by the temple trust on behalf of the devotees. The Kalashas are kept 'alive' for the whole nine days of Navratras. This is why they are also called Akhand Manookaamna Navratra Jyoti Kalashas. It is believed that goddess fulfils all wishes of devotees if they follow proper fasting, worshiping and several rituals of deity and also contribute to the Akhand Jyoti Kalashas.

Around the main temple, there are many other temples of equally rich historical and archaeological values exist here. The most important of these are Mahamrityunjaya Panchmukhee Shiv Mandir and Kanthi Dewal. A little known fact about this temple is that Department of Archaeological Survey of India has recently reconstituted the temple. The reconstitution spanned around five years, but the actual shape of the temple was kept intact.

This temple consists of a sanctum and a mandapa with fortified fascinated courtyard, which was built in Maratha period but the original temple was built by the Kalchuri rulers in 12th-13th century AD. This temple was dedicated to Mahamaya Devi, which was the Kula Devi of the Kalchuri rulers.

The main campus of temple has smaller statues of Mahakali, Bhadrakali, Surya Dev, Lord Vishnu, Lord Hanuman, Bhairav and Lord Shiva. It is believed that Kalinga king Ratna Dev performed the first puja and abhihek of Devi at this place in 1050 AD, when he shifted his capital from Tuman to Ratnapur. Because of its strategic geographical status, King Ratna Dev and his heirs made Ratnapur their capital and built up palaces, fort and temples, the remnants of which can be seen still today.

The Danteswari temple belongs to the group of the 52 Shakti Peeths, the symbol of feminine divinity in India. It is believed that a tooth of Goddess Sati had fallen here and that was how the Danteshwari temple came into existence. Danteshwari Temple is located 80 km from Jagdalpur, a famous temple of goddess Danteshwari, goddess worshiped as an incarnation of Shakti. The temple is believed to possess divine powers. Every year during Dusshera, thousand of tribal from surrounding villages and jungles gather here to pay homage to the deity. Danteshwari Temple is one of the Shakti Pithas.

The temple was built in 14th century by the Chalukya kings, in south Indian style of the temple architecture. The idol of deity is chiseled in shiny black stone. The temple has four parts, Garbha Griha, Maha Mandap, Mukhya Mandap and Sabha Mandap. The Garbha Griha and Maha Mandap were constructed completely out of stone. There is Garud Pillar in front of the temple's entrance.

Around six hundred years old temple is situated at the confluence of pious rivers Shankini and Dhankini. Representing a perfect cultural and religious blend of the various Bastar communities, the temple is an example of great south Indian style of architecture.

The best time to visit this temple is during Dussehra festival (October) when thousands of tribal from the adjoining towns and jungles register their presence to worship the deity. The idol of the Goddess is taken out of the temple and displayed around the city accompanied by a royal procession.

Chandrahasini Devi Temple is an important religious place and prominent tourist place of Janjgir-Champa, Chhattisgarh. The temple of Chandrahasini Devi has a significant and popular past. The temple is located on the banks of river Mahanadi, the chief river of

Chhattisgarh state. Apart from regular rituals and worship, Chandrahasini Devi Temple hosts navratri festivals every year. Temple is situated at 30 km from Raigarh.

Temple is regarded as a Shakti Peeth is daily visited by huge numbers of devotees from across the state and country as well. Apart from its immense religious popularity, Chandrahasini Devi Temple also showcases an excellent array of architectural splendors that reminds visitors about the proficiency of the people of the bygone era. The entire temple compound is surrounded by a holy aura, which in turn makes the people experience the bliss of the ultimate power, the power of divinity.

During the festival of navaratri, devotees from faraway districts come to Chandrahasini Devi Temple to praise the Goddess and gather her pious blessings. Special ceremony of puja is arranged within temple premises, which also attracts tourists from other countries.

A lot needs to be done

P. V. V. MURTHI

SHARE  ·   COMMENT   ·   PRINT   ·   T+  

Artisans at work, desiging a temple car in the Sri Perundevi Thayar Samedha Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple in Arcot. Photo: D. Gopalakrishnan

RELATED

PHOTOS

TOPICS

religion and belief

The new temple car, Dwajasthambam and the niches for the deities will be consecrated in the following months.

Sri Perundevi Thayar Samedha Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Arcot, will soon have a new wooden temple car and a Dwajasthambam (or Kodimaram), besides new shrines for deities such as Rukmani Venkatakrishnan and Andal Nachiyar.

While the temple car has been completed at a cost of Rs. 35 lakhs, the Dwajasthambam (made of Burma teak) is getting ready at a cost of Rs. seven lakhs.

The separate niche for Andal Nachiyar will be installed in the new 16-pillared Thiruppavai mandapam, which is ready, and the construction of the shrine for Sri Rukmani Venkatakrishnan is under way.

1500-year-old temple

According to A.K. Natarajan, president, and A.C. Seshadri, secretary of the temple renovation committee, the 1500-year-old temple, which was built during the Chola period, was sabotaged during the British rule and was lying in a state of disrepair. In 1936, the Kodimaram was installed and Brahmotsavam conducted by Sri Vaishnavas. The sanctum sanctorum of the presiding deity, Sri Varadaraja Perumal, was renovated and a compound wall with lime mortar was built around it. The Nammazhwar shrine was renovated and consecrated in 1942. The shrines of the presiding deities, Sri Varadaraja Perumal and Sri Perundevi Thayar, were renovated by a committee formed by the public in 1984 and was consecrated the same year. The construction of a Rajagopuram and Thiruvaimozhi mandapam commenced in 1985, the samprokshanam of which took place in 1991. The committee constructed separate niches for deities such as Ramar, Lakshminarasimhar and Shatkonam Chakkarathazhwar. The separate sannidhi for Sri Ramar was consecrated in 1993, while those for Lakshminarasimhar and Chakkarathazhwar were consecrated in 2006.

The Dwajasthambam, being erected with the help of a donor, is to be consecrated on June 16. The permission of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department has been sought for the ‘vellottam' (trial procession) of the new car, for which only the painting work is pending. While the committee is planning to perform the maha kumbabhishekam of the newly built shrines in the first week of the Tamil month of Aavani (the latter part of August 2012), the renovation work is progressing at a slow pace due to paucity of funds.

Donations are solicited to finish the work and perform the consecration on the stipulated date. Those interested may send the contributions, in the form of cheque/draft drawn in favour of A.K. Natarajan, payable at Arcot, to A.K. Natarajan, president, Thiruther Thiruppani Committee, Arcot-632503.For details call 98423 62000/ 99522 25385.