Rejuvenation of Tiruneermalai tank has started, temple executive officer tells Madras HC

The Ranganatha Perumal Temple management at Tiruneermalai in Chengalpattu district on Monday (February 2, 2026) informed the Madras High Court of having commenced works to rejuvenate the temple tank, named Manikarnika/Theertha,at a cost of over ₹63 lakh.

Appearing before the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan, senior counsel A.K. Sriram, representing the executive officer of the temple, said the works had commenced on January 7. He said the approximate cost of rejuvenating the temple tank was estimated to be somewhere between ₹63 lakh and ₹65 lakh, and Ashokan, a devotee, had come forward to donate the entire amount. He said the works were expected to be completed within a reasonable time.

The submissions were made during the hearing of a public interest litigation petition, filed by P. Bhaskar of Chengalpattu, seeking a direction to the temple management to rejuvenate the tank. The judges directed the management to file a status report within two weeks.

The petitioner’s counsel B. Jagannath told the court that in Tamil, Tiruneermalai meant a hillock surrounded by water. He said the Ranganatha Perumal Temple atop the hillock was one of the 108 Divyadesams worshipped by the Vaishnavites and the tank on the ground had a special significance.

Stating there was also a separate temple for Neervana Perumal at the foothill, the counsel said, the temple administration as well as the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department had failed miserably to maintain the temple tank properly despite the receipt of very high revenue.

He said, The Hindu had carried a news article on November 28, 2025, titled ‘Devotees demand urgent restoration of neglected Thiruneermalai temple tank’, and insisted upon issuing a direction to the HR and CE Department, the Executive Officer, and the Chengalpattu Collector to rejuvenate the tank.