T.N. Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister P.K. Sekarbabu on Wednesday, said his department was studying the feasibility of building a rajagopuram (royal gateway)at the ancient Bhagavathi Amman temple in Kanniyakumari.
Situated on the southern tip of the country, this 9th century temple is surrounded by the sea on three sides: the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. Inscriptions from the period of Vijayalaya Chola, the Venad Kings and Travancore Kings are found at the temple, which is dedicated to the virgin Goddess Kanniyakumari alias Bhagavathi Amman.
Abour month ago, the HR&CE Department organised a prasannam (consulting pundits) for the construction of a rajagopuram over the existing structure, which remains incomplete. “We have to do a soil test and also consult experts at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) before going ahead with the project,” Mr Sekarbabu said.
