Rameswaram: Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Minister K M Anandhan said on Friday that renovation and consecration has been done in 630 of 1006 temples taken up by the department.
Speaking to reporters here, he said renovation was going on in the remaining temples and would be completed and consecration done before next year. He said the Central government had given Rs 22.5 crore for renovation work, while the state had given Rs three crore.
Stating that consecration of Ramanathaswamy temple here would be held in 2013, Anandhan said he had suggested to the temple authorities to renovate and widen pathways to the 22 holy water sites here, stop sewage water from entering `Agni theeram` (sea near the temple) and treat effluents.
He said there was plan to build Pilgrim Houses in temple lands in the island as also a plan to provide free meals for more pilgrims. The minister said The Tiruvotriyur Padampiriyar temple would be renovated at a cost of Rs one crore and the roof of Tiruvadanai temple repaired at a cost of Rs 50 lakh.

The minister will visit Dhanushkodi tomorrow.
PTI