Where do we go? ask tourists at Tirupparankundram
MADURAI, MAY 13, 2019 00:00 IST
People find it difficult to move around Subramaniaswamy Temple in Tirupparankundram due to unregulated parking and encroachments.R. AshokR_ASHOK
Apart from the temple, first-time tourists are unaware of other attractions around the hillock
Imposing rocks, ornate sculptures and several waterbodies make Tirupparankundram a definite pit stop for tourists visiting south Tamil Nadu. Devotees line up at the Subramaniaswamy Temple, one of the six abodes of Lord Murugan, waiting to reach the sannithi of the rock-cut temple.
Despite the consistent flow of tourists, residents, tour guides and authorities feel that its potential lies untapped. Without proper signboards, parking facility, information centre and sanitation facilities, Tirupparankundram falls behind other eminent tourist destinations situated nearby.
Candidates in the fray for the May 19 by-election have been promising development of tourism infrastructure to augment income of locals. Residents wait to see tall promises getting executed.
No signboards
First-time tourists arriving at Tirupparankundram may find it difficult to navigate through the area as there are no signboards pointing to key tourist spots.
They end up asking, “Where do I go?”
Apart from Subramaniaswamy Temple, K. P. Bharathi, Programme Leader, DHAN Foundation, says that there is another cave temple, Jain beds and a well-maintained eco park for the tourists.
Despite having enough potential, the monuments are barely maintained. They also do not enjoy as much popularity as the temple.
The Archaeological Survey of India-maintained cave temple has plastic pots and pans left inside. An official from the Tourism department says that only about 40 to 50 people visit this spot daily.
The temple also does not have enough facilities for tourists. There is a dearth of drinking water in the girivalam path. Though the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department says that water is available at three locations along the path, the drums are often found empty. Toilets are also inadequate according to Munusu Senthil, a resident of Tirupparankundram and a volunteer at the temple. The temple tank has plastic floating on the surface.
Subramaniaswamy Temple does not have an information centre to enlighten the public on its rich history and religious importance. Mr. Senthil says that there has been a rise in the number of foreign tourists visiting the abode. Yet, there is a lack of local tour guides to explain intricate details of the temple. Packaged tours do not provide sufficient information about the history of the place and barely show them the other sites apart from the temple.
Tirupparankundram also has a small shed maintained by the HR and CE department to feed peacocks and monkeys living in and around the hillock. Several peacocks, including rare white birds, come in the morning and evening to feed on rice and drink water from pots. The space maintained by the HR and CE department is cluttered with waste metal from the temple. The sheds are broken and there is no proper waterhole for the birds.
“Most people are completely unaware of the presence of these additional tourist attraction. Tirupparankundram could take an entire day in a tourist’s agenda,” Mr. Senthil says.
Parking woes
Apart from general tourist facilities, this area lacks a proper parking spot for scores of vehicles arriving daily.
“Navigating through Tirupparankundram on a full moon night is an impossible task. The roads are choked with two-wheelers and four-wheelers, waiting to line up outside the temple to drop off devotees. Devotees do not arrive in twos or threes. They arrive in hundreds,” says M. Thiagarajan, a long-time resident.
For outsiders, Tirupparankundram seems like a quaint village, cut off from the Bypass Road and self-sufficient. Residents, however, say that they find it impossible to move around the small, narrow streets. Sannidhi Street, which leads directly to the temple, is chocked on several days, particularly on full moon nights, auspicious days and festivals.
Mr. Thiagarajan says that he finds it impossible to move through the roads because of the unregulated parking around the temple. He adds that encroachments are also a problem as they extend between three and five feet into the main road, preventing movement of pedestrians.
On wedding days, it is impossible for people to walk to the temple because of the traffic as there are at least 40 small mandapams around the temple.
Solution
An official in the HR and CE department suggests plying small government-owned ‘hop-on-hop-off’ style buses between various tourist spots.
“The buses can also connect the railway station and bus stand,” he says. He adds that about 10 years ago, the State government had advertised for training tour guides. Since there was poor response, the programme was shelved.
On the parking problem, he says, “The temple has identified two spots for parking. However, lack of traffic regulation prevents people from using these spots and instead they park on the lanes outside the temple. The HR and CE department should ban movement of vehicles in streets adjacent to the temple, similar to the regulation on Chithirai streets around Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple.” It should solve the traffic woes, he says.
We can ply government-owned ‘hop-on-hop-off’ style buses between various tourist spots
Official
HR and CE department
MADURAI, MAY 13, 2019 00:00 IST
People find it difficult to move around Subramaniaswamy Temple in Tirupparankundram due to unregulated parking and encroachments.R. AshokR_ASHOK
Apart from the temple, first-time tourists are unaware of other attractions around the hillock
Imposing rocks, ornate sculptures and several waterbodies make Tirupparankundram a definite pit stop for tourists visiting south Tamil Nadu. Devotees line up at the Subramaniaswamy Temple, one of the six abodes of Lord Murugan, waiting to reach the sannithi of the rock-cut temple.
Despite the consistent flow of tourists, residents, tour guides and authorities feel that its potential lies untapped. Without proper signboards, parking facility, information centre and sanitation facilities, Tirupparankundram falls behind other eminent tourist destinations situated nearby.
Candidates in the fray for the May 19 by-election have been promising development of tourism infrastructure to augment income of locals. Residents wait to see tall promises getting executed.
No signboards
First-time tourists arriving at Tirupparankundram may find it difficult to navigate through the area as there are no signboards pointing to key tourist spots.
They end up asking, “Where do I go?”
Apart from Subramaniaswamy Temple, K. P. Bharathi, Programme Leader, DHAN Foundation, says that there is another cave temple, Jain beds and a well-maintained eco park for the tourists.
Despite having enough potential, the monuments are barely maintained. They also do not enjoy as much popularity as the temple.
The Archaeological Survey of India-maintained cave temple has plastic pots and pans left inside. An official from the Tourism department says that only about 40 to 50 people visit this spot daily.
The temple also does not have enough facilities for tourists. There is a dearth of drinking water in the girivalam path. Though the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department says that water is available at three locations along the path, the drums are often found empty. Toilets are also inadequate according to Munusu Senthil, a resident of Tirupparankundram and a volunteer at the temple. The temple tank has plastic floating on the surface.
Subramaniaswamy Temple does not have an information centre to enlighten the public on its rich history and religious importance. Mr. Senthil says that there has been a rise in the number of foreign tourists visiting the abode. Yet, there is a lack of local tour guides to explain intricate details of the temple. Packaged tours do not provide sufficient information about the history of the place and barely show them the other sites apart from the temple.
Tirupparankundram also has a small shed maintained by the HR and CE department to feed peacocks and monkeys living in and around the hillock. Several peacocks, including rare white birds, come in the morning and evening to feed on rice and drink water from pots. The space maintained by the HR and CE department is cluttered with waste metal from the temple. The sheds are broken and there is no proper waterhole for the birds.
“Most people are completely unaware of the presence of these additional tourist attraction. Tirupparankundram could take an entire day in a tourist’s agenda,” Mr. Senthil says.
Parking woes
Apart from general tourist facilities, this area lacks a proper parking spot for scores of vehicles arriving daily.
“Navigating through Tirupparankundram on a full moon night is an impossible task. The roads are choked with two-wheelers and four-wheelers, waiting to line up outside the temple to drop off devotees. Devotees do not arrive in twos or threes. They arrive in hundreds,” says M. Thiagarajan, a long-time resident.
For outsiders, Tirupparankundram seems like a quaint village, cut off from the Bypass Road and self-sufficient. Residents, however, say that they find it impossible to move around the small, narrow streets. Sannidhi Street, which leads directly to the temple, is chocked on several days, particularly on full moon nights, auspicious days and festivals.
Mr. Thiagarajan says that he finds it impossible to move through the roads because of the unregulated parking around the temple. He adds that encroachments are also a problem as they extend between three and five feet into the main road, preventing movement of pedestrians.
On wedding days, it is impossible for people to walk to the temple because of the traffic as there are at least 40 small mandapams around the temple.
Solution
An official in the HR and CE department suggests plying small government-owned ‘hop-on-hop-off’ style buses between various tourist spots.
“The buses can also connect the railway station and bus stand,” he says. He adds that about 10 years ago, the State government had advertised for training tour guides. Since there was poor response, the programme was shelved.
On the parking problem, he says, “The temple has identified two spots for parking. However, lack of traffic regulation prevents people from using these spots and instead they park on the lanes outside the temple. The HR and CE department should ban movement of vehicles in streets adjacent to the temple, similar to the regulation on Chithirai streets around Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple.” It should solve the traffic woes, he says.
We can ply government-owned ‘hop-on-hop-off’ style buses between various tourist spots
Official
HR and CE department
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