Tiruvannamalai Corporation to build multi-level car parks for pilgrims near Arunachaleshwara temple

The Tiruvannamalai Corporation plans to set up multi-level modular car parking facilities, mainly for pilgrims, near the Arunachaleshwara temple to prevent haphazard parking on the town’s key stretches and narrow streets.

Officials said the civic body had selected at least five spots near Mada Streets around the temple for the new facilities as it would be convenient for visitors to have a place to park their vehicles safely. A nominal fee will be charged for the use of the facilities. “Modalities of the new facility are being worked out. The estimated cost of the new multi-level parking will be around ₹1 crore,” S. Selva Balaji, Commissioner, Tiruvannamalai Corporation, told The Hindu.

At present, Tiruvannamalai town gets around 3 lakh visitors on Chitra Pournami days and 1.5 lakh tourists on weekends. During the Maha Deepam festival last December, around 40 lakh visitors came to the town. Most pilgrims, especially from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, come in cabs and cars. Residents said many cars that had other State number plates were parked on the town’s key stretches and narrow streets. Such illegal parking is causing traffic congestion, locals said. “Most of these vehicles are parked during night to evade traffic police and residents’ attention. Due to the blocked roads, ambulances have sometimes had trouble reaching patients during emergencies,” said P. Bhaskan, secretary, Tiruvannamalai All Traders’ Association.

Officials said that the the parking facilities would afford better utilisation of the available space. The new facility will be modular, which is a detachable one. Such a modular parking facility can be relocated depending on needs during festival seasons, such as Maha Deepam. Most of the open land within civic body limits comes under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department. Revenue officials have also removed encroachments on 9.5 acres, which belongs to the HR and CE Department, on the Girivalam path. A rent-free land will be provided for the new facility.

Each facility will have 10 floors with on an average 10 vehicles can be parked on each floor. As per traffic police study, around 200-300 cars come to the town every day on pilgrimage. Such a parking facility will decongest the town and offer more space for both pedestrians and motorists. Other vehicles including tourist vans and buses will be allowed to park on designated temporary parking lots on the outskirts of the town.