The Tamil Nadu government fails to make the most Athi Varadar

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

The Tamil Nadu government, particularly the HR&CE department, appears to have missed a ‘god sent ‘opportunity to additionally endorse the tourism potential of Kanchipuram and perk up business for the weavers of the district famed for silk sarees.

A wave of humanity keeps heading to the temple town of Kanchipuram from July 1st for darshan of the idol Athi Varadar. This idol is taken out of water once every 40 years for 48 days, inside Sri Varadharajaswamy temple. Visitors return home mournful of not only the dearth of facilities but also the missed opportunities for promoting the silk industry in the town.

As the government does initiates detailed planning for the once-in 12-year Mahamaham in Kumbakonam, it appears to have had little idea about the once-in-40-year Athi Varadar festival. On each Saturday and Sunday, an estimated 2 lakh people visited Kanchipuram to have a darshan of the idol, the numbers were reasonably down during weekdays.

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