By Staff Reporter
The Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, P.K. Sekarbabu, inaugurated a solar power plant at the Vadapalani Andavar temple in Chennai. The solar power plant, established at a cost of ₹25 lakh, was funded through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds of City Union Bank.
During the inauguration, the Minister highlighted that this was the first time an entire temple had been solarized. Normally, only specific lights or functions, such as cooking for annadhanam (food distribution), are powered by solar energy. The Minister emphasized the temple’s role as a starting point for environment-friendly initiatives. He stated that this project would not only save expenses for the temple but also allow surplus power to be supplied to the grid during the temple’s closed hours, generating additional revenue.
The government aims to extend the use of solar power to major temples across the state. The initial phase will focus on providing solar power to 47 temples. The Vadapalani Andavar temple’s newly installed solar power plant has a capacity of 41.25 kilowatts, with 75 panels producing 150-165 units of electricity per day. This initiative is expected to save the temple approximately ₹5 lakh per year. The generated power will be utilized to illuminate over 200 lights, fans, and boilers in the temple’s Madapalli (community kitchen).
Key figures, including HR&CE Commissioner K. V. Muralidharan, temple Thakkar (fit person) L. Adimoolam, and City Union Bank’s Managing Director N. Kamakodi, were present during the inauguration ceremony.
The solarization of the Vadapalani Andavar temple demonstrates a significant step in promoting sustainable practices within religious institutions. By adopting solar power, temples can reduce their carbon footprint, save on energy expenses, and contribute to the overall goal of environmental conservation.