HR & CE on an aggressive Renovation spree in TN Temples, Chozha Period Gopinatha Swamy temple at Patteeswaram to see Thiruppani at a cost of Rs. 2.5crores
After a lull in the second half of the previous decade, the HR & CE department is on a temple renovation spree. The department has been making aggressive allocation for renovation exercises across temples in TN. Close to a 1000 temples are expected to see consecration in the near future.
Earlier this week, this section featured a story on Sundara Perumal Koil for which the HR & CE has estimated a renovation at a cost of just over Rs. 30Lakhs (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2023/06/sundara-perumal-koil-new-young-archaka.html). This story is about a whopping Rs. 2.5crores allocation for the Chozha Period Gopinatha Swamy Perumal temple in Patteeswaram. In centuries gone by, the Perumal temple east of Patteeswaram was the Jagannathan Perumal Divya Desam at Nandipura Vinnagaram while the Perumal temple west of Patteeswaram was the Gopinatha Swamy temple.
Dilapidated State for over a decade
This writer had captured photographs of the temple over 10 years ago. This week, the temple remains in the same dilapidated state that one had seen back then. Huge bushes are seen around the temple complex. Similar to the Mottai Gopuram in Thiru Vellarai Divya Desam(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/08/thiru-vellarai-7-tier-raja-gopuram.html), the Raja Gopuram here too was half complete. And now is seen in a dilapidated state.
Utsavams a thing of the past
Long ago, Akshaya Trithiya, procession on Rohini Star day, Ekadasi and Dakshinayina and Utharayina Punya Kaalams were celebrated at this temple. The beating of the drums and the Mela Vadhyams were once heard at this temple. But the utsavams have become a thing of the past and like with the idols at Sundara Perumal Koil, the processional idols of Gopinathan along with Rukmini and Satyabhama have been sent to the icon center long ago. The priest at the Ramar temple in Patteeswaram performs a one kaala Thiru Aradhanam in the morning at this temple.
Not unexpectedly, the temple lands around the temple have been taken over by residents and that’s the first thing HR & CE will have secure back as part of this renovation exercise. Some of the private buildings have come to the prakara walls on the Northern side. There is a big tank behind the temple and that has remained unattended for decades. That too will require a complete refurbishing. The outer walls will have to be built from scratch.
Like with Thiru Vellarai, the base of the Raja Gopuram will have to be strengthened before the five tier Raja Gopuram can be constructed (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/05/thiru-vellarai-raja-gopuram.html).
Patteeswaram temple’s experienced Pulavar Selva Sekar, who will oversee the renovation exercise on the ground, told this writer on Monday that as the first step in this exercise, the temple authorities are in the process of preparing a complete documentation of the entire temple complex and its current state including the Raja Gopuram. Soil tests will have to be undertaken later before the construction of the Raja Gopuram can be finalized.
He said that the presence of a Ther Mandapam pointed to a Chariot festival in centuries gone by. He also showed the original moolavar sannidhi which lie dilapidated behind the current sannidhi. The original sannidhi was like the big one at Sarangapani Koil (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/06/sarangapani-koil-thiru-kudanthai.html) built of Karungal structure. Historically this place was referred to as Kathali Vanam/ Shenbagaranyam indicating the presence of a large number of flower bearing trees.
Structural Engineers have had a look at the temple last week. The ASI officials are expected to make a trip some time in the coming months. Some of the preliminary work could start this second fortnight of June at the Gopinathaswamy Perumal temple soon after the completion of Thiru Gnana Sambandar’s Muthu Pandal Utsavam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/07/patteeswaram-thiru-gnana-sambanthar.html) that is currently taking place this week at the Patteeswaram temple.
Current complex
The revival of the utsavams may still be a long way off but hopefully within the next 12 months full fledged construction should begin at the Gopinatha Perumal temple especially as the allocation of the renovation amount has been announced in the TN assembly.
Sometime in the coming years, this temple should see devotees coming back in good numbers like it once was in the previous century. And if all goes well, may be the devotees will also get a darshan of the Utsava Moorthies and the processions around the four streets that is a dream of the Pulavar could become a reality again.