Addressing 1053 couples, chosen from economically weaker sections, chief minister J Jayalalithaa said temples should not be places of pooja alone but also take up charitable works like performing weddings of poor free of cost. The weddings, arranged by the Hindu religious charitable endowement, were conducted with the surplus income from temples coming under the department.
The temples incurred an expenditure of Rs.5,500 on each couple, Jayalalithaa said. Besides a golden 'mangalsutra,' each of the couples were given a silk dhoti, silk saree, beddings and utensils.

Last year, 1008 couples entered into wedlock in a mass wedding organised by the department and then the temples spent Rs.4,500 on each couple, she said.

Jayalalithaa also declared open rest rooms for devotees constructed at a cost of Rs 55 lakh. Sivanthi Adityan, proprietor of Tamil daily "Daily Thanthi" had donated money for the construction of the rooms.

Bureau Report