Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple parking lot a boon for devotees

Though it has been designed to accommodate 1,401 two-wheelers and 110 four-wheelers at a time, four-wheelers are parked more here

The multi-level parking facility built on North Avani Moola Street near Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple has opened its doors, much to the relief of devotees and tourists visiting the temple during the auspicious Tamil month of Karthigai.

The ₹41.96 crore two-level underground parking facility, built under Smart Cities Mission, became operational on November 9 after being officially inaugurated by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. Though it has been designed to accommodate 1,401 two-wheelers and 110 four-wheelers at a time, four-wheelers are parked more here.

The facility is open between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. and the tariff for four-wheelers for the three hours is ₹40 and ₹20 extra for every hour of usage. Two-wheeler owners must pay ₹15 for the first three hours and ₹10 for every extra hour.

Corporation authorities managing the facility said devotees were coming from across the State, and from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and the highest number from Kerala.

“We have been to the temple so many times before and the new parking lot is a surprise to us and it is very helpful as the temple is at a walkable distance,” said G. Krishnan Nair, an Ayyappa devotee from Thrissur. While another devotee opined that installing CCTV cameras on the premises would ensure more security.

Though the facility is spacious enough, many cars with local registration have been parked on both sides of the road just outside. This leads to traffic congestion every now and then with many vehicles coming in and going out.

Moreover, a few tempo travellers are double parked, thus shrinking the carriageway. The traffic snag intensifies from the evening.