Not many may be aware that Sriperumbudur is the birthplace of the Vaishnavite saint Sri Ramanujar. Many may remember Sriperumbudur as the place where the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was killed.
But the antiquity of the town located on the Chennai-Bengaluru highway, about 40 km from here, dates back hundreds of years before an Indian PM was assassinated there in 1991.
Sriperumbudur houses a temple for the ‘Acharya’ who was the first religious guru to introduce free meals to fight against social discrimination.
Cashing in on the tourism potential, the state tourism department is determined to put this place on the religious tourism map of Tamil Nadu.
Accordingly, it has taken up infrastructure creation work with assistance from the Centre. The temple town, which would be developed under the destination development scheme of the Centre, will see more facilities at an outlay of Rs 5 crore.
According to sources, the Ramanujar temple, having the tallest Rajagopuram with shrines for Adhikesava perumal and Yethirajavalli thayar, is the first temple in south India to have a golden vimanam erected as far back as in 1912.
Ramanujar was born in 1017 AD on 12th day of the Tamil month of Chithirai. His birthday is celebrated in a grand manner in Sriperumbudur during a 10-day utsav.
“Sriperumbudur is strategically located and is rapidly getting industralised. Its proximity to Chennai and Bengaluru attracts a good number of people.
The proposed scheme would not only facilitate better amenities but also highlight the importance of the place,” an official said.