An estimated one lakh devotees, including Governor Banwarilal Purohit, dropped in at the Sri Devarajaswamy temple in Kancheepuram on Monday to take a look at the idol of Athi Varadar. Made of wood, the idol is brought out for public viewing once every 40 years from the Ananthasaras tank. High price“Though several devotees grumbled about the ticket price, almost two-thirds of visitors opted for the tickets,” an official source in the HR&CE said. There were complaints that police were not admitting devotees and temple employees, even those with passes issued by the district administration. Facilities for the smooth conduct of the festival have been created by various agencies at an expenditure of ₹29 crore.

Source: The Hindu July 01, 2019 19:32 UTC