'Damaged temple Mandapam to be restored to original splendour'

Tamil Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam today assured that the mandapam at the famous Meenakshi temple here, which was damaged in the recent fire, would be renovated and restored to its original splendour.
"All efforts will be taken to restore the mandapam to its original level", he told reporters after inspecting the 7,000 square foot Vasantharayar Mandapam.
Panneerselvam also said that shops in the temple would be vacated after government received a report about the fire.
Various Hindu outfits had staged a protest yesterday, demanding relocation of the shops from the temple premises.
Earlier, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister Sevoor Ramachandran said that a special committee, comprising experts, the District Collector, Hr&CE officials and temple trustees, would inspect the damage.

They would also give a report as to whether the shops in the temple should be vacated, he said.

The committee would decide about the renovation of the mandapam and also give suggestions to prevent recurrence of such accidents in future, he said.
A massive fire broke out at the premises of the temple late on February 2 night and was doused early yesterday, after which devotees were allowed to offer morning prayers.
The fire gutted 40 shops selling puja articles and toys. There were no casualities.
District Collector Veera Raghava Rao had told reporters that the hall with 1,000 pillars, which houses the temple museum, was not damaged and that a special team was formed to look into the impact of the fire, especially on the 7,000 sq.ft Vasantharayar Mandapam.

A preliminary probe revealed that the fire was due to an electrical short-circuit in one of the shops near the 1,000-pillar hall.