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 The famous temple of Sri Ranganatha Swamy at Srirangam, wears a fresh look after "comprehensive renovation" was imparted to the towers numbering 18 - major and sub-shrines 55, in all, in the sprawling complex spread in the island town. Colourful or even psychedelic the huge towers look, thanks to the litres of "Asian enamel" and "Shalimer paints" splashed on them by the modern temple architects working as part of the two-year prolonged renovation work.
The HR and CE wanted to complete things in a war footing, not to ignore the remarks that it was all pre-poll stunt when the date of consecration was fixed for March 15. The department had also been very careful not to spend money for the renovation work excepting a few lakhs for the total project that would have crossed four crores, courtesy individual donors and institutions.
Special mention should be made about the renovation of the Raja Gopuram. The world's largest temple tower was getting repaired and repainted after 14 years of its existence. The largegolden dome -
Sri Ranga Vimanam in pure gold, largest among its kind - refurbished with fresh gold foils of ten kg added to its original content of 35 kg over the "Om Kara Pranava Vimanam". A
semi-sphere shaped dome of Paranthaka Cholan and later on Jada Varma
Sundara Pandiyan of the13th century who had spread golden
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sheets over them, and the 48 feet tall flag mast or kodi maram that was also repaired just now. The flag mast does have its speciality - built uniquely in bronze from the usual masts of wood or stone.
 After six centuries, according to the temple chronicle, renovations to the mast was performed in 1461 by the Sangma/Vijayanagar king Raja Mallar after cleaning the bronze structure and gold-plating it. According to the temple authorities the pillar or mast contained about five kg of gold and presently 2.5 kg had been added after duly cleaning the bronze core and arranging the re-done plates over it.
The department of HR and CE, Government of Tamil Nadu had undertaken to renovate the main Sanctum Sanctorum - of the presiding deity and of the Moolava Murthy itself. After so many controversies and deliberations the reclined idol - Suthai and not stone - was renovated and Lord Shri Ranganatha is restored to its originality at a cost of six lakh. (Num Perumal beloved Ranga) Currently the annual income of the temple crosses four crore.
The final touch up had been given and in the last three days Yagasala pujas had commenced with pundits performing yagnas on nine mega-sized homa-goondas amidst the chanting of Vedic slokas and hymns of Alwars. The Samprokshanams or consecrations of the renovated sub-shrines having been performed in the preceding months in batches, the grand finale, or the Maha Samprokshanams of 18 Towers and 28 Vimanas and shrines were completed on March 15, 2001.
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