This story is from August 18, 2019

Tamil Nadu: Athi Varadar fest rakes in Rs 8 crore

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department has earned ₹8 crore in ‘hundi’ collection at the Sri Devarajaperumal temple in Kancheepuram where the 47-day Athi Varadar festival ended on Friday with the deity being taken back to the tank on Saturday
Tamil Nadu: Athi Varadar fest rakes in Rs 8 crore
Apart from the hundi collections, `1 crore was received for annadanam (free food)
CHENNAI: The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department has earned ₹8 crore in ‘hundi’ collection at the Sri Devarajaperumal temple in Kancheepuram where the 47-day Athi Varadar festival ended on Friday with the deity being taken back to the tank on Saturday.
More than one crore devotees thronged the shrine during the period. “This is a record for the temple,” HR&CE commissioner Phanindra Reddy told TOI.
The Dhandyuthapani temple at Palani in Dindigul district, the largest revenue earner in the state, has an average monthly collection of around ₹2.5 crore and ₹6 crore during festivals.
There were donations from several VIPs during the festival. “We received ₹1.5 crore for annadanam (free feast) alone, as part of which mostly variety rice, was distributed,” Reddy said.
Sale of darshan tickets brought in another ₹2.5 crore. “Online sale of tickets was introduced and many purchased special tickets. Several lakhs of tickets were sold.”
A series of pujas were performed since morning. “Forty-eight varieties of ‘prasad’ (offerings) were placed before the deity. At 4pm, the utsava idol of Lord Devarajaperumal was brought to the one of Athi Varadar at the Vasantha Mandapam, arathi was performed and preparations commenced for immersion of Athi Varadar in the Anantasaras (tank),” said a priest.
Before the immersion, oil made from sandal and medicinal herbs was applied to the staue of the deity made of a fig tree. “We do this to prevent it from decaying and ageing. This is a practice followed for long,” said the priest. A plaque containing dates on which the statue was taken out and dates of other important occasions during the past 48 days, was placed near the tank.
More than 12,500 police personnel, at least 2,500 municipal workers and officials, revenue officials, thousands of HR&CE officials were involved in manning the huge crowds during the festival.
Initially, sources said, only DIGs were heading the police force at the temple before IGs and later two ADGPs were roped in to control the surging crowd.
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