Srirangam East Gopuram reopening Aadi 28

After many years of Shut Down and devotee harship

The Damodara Krishnan Gopuram East of the Vellai Gopuram at the Ranganathaswamy temple will be reopened to vehicular traffic on Sunday morning

After many years of shut down, the Damodara Krishnan Gopuram on the eastern side of the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam is set to reopen to traffic tomorrow Sunday on the occasion of Aadi 28. This writer had featured a story in The Hindu in December last quoting Dr. Jayapal, the devotee donor who has been undertaking the extensive large scale restoration that the work was likely to be completed by March and that the gopuram would be opened to vehicular traffic but when this process was further delayed, this section featured another story in May this year on the delay after both the donor devotee Dr. Jayapal, who is also constructing the Raja Gopuram at Thiru Vellarai, had confirmed with greater confidence that the East Gopuram would be opened to traffic in Vaikasi. 

The story in May had suggested for the new HRCE minister Ramesh to direct the donor to hasten the pace of completion so the devotees and the residents of the eastern side are not put to further hardship(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2026/05/srirangam-east-gopuram-reopening-delayed.html).

பூ மன்னு  மாது பொருந்திய மார்பன் 

புகழ் மமலிந்த பாமன்னு  மாறன் அடிபணிந்து உய்ந்தவன்

பல்கலையோர் தாம்மன்ன வந்த ராமானுஜன் 

சரணாரவிந்தம் நாம்மன்னி  வாழ 

நெஞ்சே சொல்லுவோம் அவன் நாமங்களே 

Kainkaryaparas at the Thiruvellarai temple told this writer last month that the minister had had a ‘quiet’ word with the devotee donor to complete quickly the final stages of the Damodara Krishnan Gopuram. Sivaram Kumar, the JC of the Ranganathaswamy temple had told this writer  last month that he was keen for the reopening to take place in early Aadi but the work could not be completed.

இந்திரனோடு பிரமன்

 ஈசன் இமையவர் எல்லாம்

மந்திர மா மலர் கொண்டு

மறைந்து உவராய் வந்து நின்றார்

சந்திரன் மாளிகை சேரும்

சதுரர்கள் வெள்ளறை நின்றார்

காந்தியம் பொது இது ஆகும்

 அழகனே காப்பிட  வாராய்

Over the last fortnight or so, the workers at the Gopuram have been dismantling the bamboo sticks that had been in place on both sides of the Gopuram. On this Saturday morning, the workers were seen clearing the debris on the sides of the Gopuram with the HRCE staffers overseeing the debris clearance after it had been decided to reopen the pathway to traffic on Sunday morning on the occasion of Aadi 28.

The residents of Srirangam expressed happiness on hearing the news of the likely reopening. A lady who sells Dosai Batter on the east side of the Gopuram was relieved after having struggled over the last few years. She told this writer on Friday evening that it was such a tedious task to go to the bank on the east uthira street and to also have darshan of Perumal.

For the students of Srirangam Girls High School to, it will be a big relief come Monday morning as they will now be able to come through east uthira and chitra streets to their school through the Damodara Krishnan Gopuram. Also, the Kainkaryaparas as well as the devotees will now be able to make it through this Gopuram to the Kaattu Azhagiya Singar Koil east of the Srirangam Railway Station.

Years ago, even as the work started, two wheelers and walkers were able to go through this Gopuram but on inspection the then collector directed the shutdown of this pathway fearing untoward incidents arising out of the likely falling of stones from above and thus this path has been shut down for years now causing great hardship.

Finally, the day is arriving when the vehicular traffic will be able to pass through the Damadora Krishnan Gopuram on the east side of the Ranganathaswamy temple.

Two years ago, the EO of the temple Venkatesan had told this writer that the breeze emanating from the East through this Gopuram contributed to a positive vibration. He and the scores of devotees coming and going through the eastern side of the temple will be able to experience that vibration from tomorrow (Aug 9).

Kudos to the new minister for hastening the final stages of this process and to getting this reopening in place.

தேட்டருந்திறல் தேனினைத், தென்னரங்கனை

திருமாதுவாழ் வாட்டமில் வனமாலை மார்வனை

வாழ்த்தி மால்கொள் சிந்தையராய்

ஆட்ட மேவியலந்தழைத்து 

அயர் வெய்தும் மெய்யடியார்கள்

தம் ஈட்டம் கண்டிடக் கூடுமேல் 

அது காணும் பயனாவதே

Next, this section will look to an update on the new model of the prasadam stall at the Ranganathaswamy temple that was to be set in place by the start of Aadi but has been delayed by almost a month now. This section hopes that the minister will also hasten the process to finalise the prasadam stall that will now be managed internally by the HRCE.