Lok Sabha Question No. 1457 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-09
Subject: Renovation of Cultural and Historical Importance Sites in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Eswarasamy K

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1457

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026

## RENOVATION OF CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE SITES IN TAMIL NADU

## 1457. SHRI  ESWARASAMY  K:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  Government  has  planned  to  renovate  historical,  artistic  and cultural importance sites in Tamil Nadu during the years 2024-25;
- (b) if so, the details of the sites renovated so far; and
- (c) the details of the sites that are yet to be renovated and timeline therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF CULTURE AND  TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) There  are  412  centrally  protected  monuments/sites  under  the  care  and  maintenance  of
- to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Tamil Nadu State. Conservation and
- (c) preservation work of these monuments/sites is a continuous process and is taken up as per the need and availability of resources subject to the National Policy for Conservation. All these  monuments/sites are regularly inspected by the ASI official/officers from time to time  to  assess  the  present  condition  and  accordingly  conservation,  renovation  and maintenance  works  are  carried  out.  All  the  monuments/sites  are  in  a  good  state  of preservation. The details of major conservation works carried out in 2024-25 are enclosed as Annexure I.

## Annexure-I

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (c) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1457  FOR 09.02.2026

## DETAILS OF CONSERVATION WORKS TAKEN UP IN RESPECT OF ASI, CHENNAI CIRCLE DURING THE YEAR 2024-25

|   Sl. No | Name of Monument                                                                                                                                            | Description of work                                                                                                                                                                 |
|----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Clive's House St. George Fort, Chennai                                                                                                                      | Proposed water tightening of damaged/cracked Madras terrace roofing and redoing the damaged portion of wall of the building on western part (Kitchen room)of Clive's Building.      |
|        2 | Last House Of Snobs Alley At Chennai                                                                                                                        | Strengthening / Conserving of existing fallen portion of Lost house.                                                                                                                |
|        3 | Rajagiri Fort (Restoration of bastion) Gingee                                                                                                               | Dismantling of 2nd Bastion towards Chettikulam after proper documentation has been completed and reconstruction of Stone masonry for 10 layers including back filling is completed. |
|        4 | Comprehensive Conservation PIan under MW(C) to Fort Gingee (Phase-I)                                                                                        | De-plastering of Venkatramana Temple Gopura, restoration of Kalasa has been completed. Plastering of Gopura is partially completed.                                                 |
|        5 | Restoration of mandapa at Venkatramana Temple at Gingee                                                                                                     | Restoration of fallen / damaged mandapas (two numbers), Material has been procured partially.                                                                                       |
|        6 | Restoration of ancient water tank steps near Kamalakanniamman temple and Mandapa plastering Fortress comprising hill fort on the Rajagiri at middle, Gingee | Brick-on-edge pathway to the Kamalakaniamman temple form the stepped well.                                                                                                          |
|        7 | Structural repairs to granaries, magazine, ranganatha temple and balaRanganatha temple at hill top, Gingee                                                  | Providing brick jelly lime concrete flooring & plastering the walls etc.                                                                                                            |
|        8 | Minor and Lower Forts at Gingee, 2022-23                                                                                                                    | Restoration of fallen fortification wall and water tightening after removal of vegetation growth at Vellore gate of Gingee Fort.                                                    |
|        9 | Restoration of Damaged/Bulged out Southern and western side outer prakara wall of Apathsahayeswara Temple at Sendhamangalam, 2023-24.                       | Restoration of damaged / fallen prakara wall towards southern and western side.                                                                                                     |
|       10 | Aleva Shore temple, Mamallapuram                                                                                                                            | Reconstruction of fallen/damaged MS Grill fencing over dwarf boundary wall towards northern side of existing toilet block. Re-pointing the damaged joints of stone pathway.         |
|       11 | Providing steps and pathways at Hill fort, Rayakottai, 2022-23.                                                                                             | Providing dwarf fencing and grills, pathway to the hill fort top.                                                                                                                   |
|       12 | Narasimhaswami and Ranganathaswami Temples, Namakkal                                                                                                        | Removing the existing leaking roof concrete and providing the new lime concrete coarse to arrest the leaking                                                                        |
|       13 | Hill Fort Namakkal (MS Fencing with Dwarf Wall)                                                                                                             | Plastering of the damaged merlons, and Providing dwarf fencing grills to the monument boundary.                                                                                     |
|       14 | Fort and temple on the hill at Chinnakavandanur                                                                                                             | Providing the Stone pitching to the entrance area and reconstruction of bastions                                                                                                    |
|       15 | Conservation of fortification wall at                                                                                                                       | Repairs to the fallen fortification wall and bastion                                                                                                                                |

|    | remains of the fort with the buildings thereon, Attur                                |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|----|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 16 | VaradarajaPerumal Temple with its Tank in the Fort Complex at Chinnakavundanur       | Water tightening to the terrace partially. Proposed for Replacing the cracked stone beams, stone ceiling slabs &water tightening the mandapa.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| 17 | Fort Upper rampart and adjoining structures at Fort, Vellore                         | Fixing of stone merlons, reconstruction of bulged retaining wall and stone pitching using RR stone.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 18 | Raise The Level Of Existing Grill Fencing For Fort At Vellore                        | Raising the grill fencing at Northern side and western side of Fort, Vellore.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| 19 | Jain temple, Thirumalai for the year                                                 | Providing pathway from Panchaparameswara temple to Neminathar temple steps.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| 20 | Siva (Erumbeswaraswami) Temple, Thiruverumbur                                        | Brick work, plastering work, stucco work-work completed Deplastering and plastering the Prahara coping wall at entrance steps and top of the main temple. Water tightening the terrace, pointing, painting the wooden doors, paintingMS grills                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| 21 | Whole of the Siva Temple and the inscribed stone in the front mandapam, Ammankurichi | Carefully dismantling and removing the damaged weathering course , Providing water tightening by providing brick jelly, concrete , plastering on top ,Disposal of accumulated debris/earth around the monument including disposal of debris far away from the monument, Mending and strengthening the broken / worn out panel of stucco figures in the vimana of Main shrine with necessary binding materials and finishing the surface, Lime pinning/ Toning up the Vimana surface using colouring materials with jaggery and galnut etc. complete |
| 22 | Rock-cut Vishnu Temple - (Sathyamurti shrine), Tirumayam                             | Carefully dismantling and removing the damaged weathering course, Providing water tightening by providing brick jelly concrete and plastering on top with lime mortar 1:1:1(,Lime pinning/Toning vimana surface with two coats, Restoration of temple type door by the way of providing the key cups, Mending and strengthening the broken / worn out panel of stucco figures in the vimana of with necessary binding materials and finishing the surface                                                                                           |
| 23 | Rock-cut Siva Temple (Sathyyagiriswara shrine), Tirumayam                            | Carefully dismantling and removing the damaged weathering course, Providing water tightening by providing brick jelly concrete, Disposal of accumulated debris/earth around the monument, Mending and strengthening the broken / worn out panel of stucco figures in the vimana of Main shrine with necessary binding materials, Lime pinning/Toning vimana surface with two coats after roughly cleaning the old surface                                                                                                                           |

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