Sri Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram would soon have an Amman Thirukalyana Mandapam, exclusively for conducting Adi Thirukalyanam, an important annual festival in the temple.

P.R.R.Ramasubramania Raja of Ramco cements has offered to build the 12,000 square feet Mandapam at a cost of Rs. 96 lakh. The bhoomi puja was conducted on Wednesday with priests performing special puja near the south tower. Mr Raja, his family members, Joint Commissioner C. Selvaraj and Additional Divisional Engineer K. Mayilvakanan were present at the foundation stone laying ceremony. “We are starting the work and the Mandapam will be ready for the Adi Thirukalyanam next year,” Mr. Selvaraj said.

He said presently, the Thirukalyanam, one of the important festivals in the temple was conducted at the south corner of the third corridor. More than 10,000 devotees turn up for the festival and they could witness the event with more comfort, he added. Mr. Mayilvakanan said the construction of the facility for pilgrims to take rest is nearing completion. More than 90 per cent of the work has been completed and it would be thrown open to the pilgrims once electrical work gets over, he added. The 9,600 square feet mandapam, built with the temple fund, is coming up on the northern side of the temple, he said.

Pilgrims, who visited the temple could rest in the huge hall (160x60) before offering worship. The hall could accommodate about 2,000 pilgrims, Mr. Mayilvakanan said. Besides, two rest rooms for men and women are also being built near the Railway station on nine acres of land at a cost of Rs. 61 lakh each, he said. Each rest room with dormitory, toilet and bathroom facilities would be ready by October as more than 75 per cent of the work has already been completed, he added. The rest rooms with safety lockers would be extremely helpful to the poor and middle class pilgrims, from north Indian states, he added.