79 monoliths and a mountain of challenges: reconstructing a Nayak-era wonder
The initiative to restore the Veera Vasantharayar Mandapam at the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, which burned in a fire, ran into many hurdles. After an uphill struggle, a team of around 150 sculptors, led by sthapathi V.P. Velmurugan of Tiruppur, managed to complete the project, with the renewed hall being formally inaugurated on August 30
The Hindu reports on the monumental task of reconstructing the Veera Vasantharayar Mandapam at the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, which suffered severe damage in a fire in February 2018. The hall, located adjacent to the temple's eastern tower, was completely rebuilt after 79 new pillars were carved, a feat that presented numerous challenges, including sourcing the right granite stones, logistical issues with heavy-duty cranes, and delays caused by litigation and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The reconstruction, which began under the DMK government in 2021, was completed on August 30, with the final budget allocated at ₹38.30 crore, up from the initial estimate of ₹18.10 crore.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Hindu's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
