Rapidly progressing granite-laying work at the Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram is scheduled for completion in under four months.

Valued at a combined cost of ₹9.20 crore, ongoing projects at the ‘Theertha pathai’ (holy dip area)—budgeted at ₹3.10 crore—and the ‘moondram praharam’—budgeted at ₹6.10 crore—will beautify the temple and ensure safe, non-slippery pathways for the thousands of visiting devotees.

As the previously laid floorings was not as per the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) standards for preserving the temple architecture, a Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department official, said, they mandated changing the material adhering to the primitive architecture of the temple.

He explained that using granite for the flooring requires additional triple-nosing work to prevent slipping, which naturally extends the timeline.

“The process, which involved three works – excavating the previously laid stones, cushioning and placing new stones – takes a longer period than expected,” they reasoned.

Although contractors had requested the permanent closure of the ‘Theertha pathai’ to expedite construction, officials noted that the area was only closed during the early morning hours to minimise inconvenience to visiting devotees while stone-laying proceeds.

Temple authorities noted that with an 18-month completion deadline, 75% of the construction work was already finished, leaving the remaining quarter to be wrapped up in the final four months.

“We ensure all ongoing works strictly adhere to ASI standards to preserve the temple’s 1,000-year-old architecture,” the official stated, adding that precautions are also taken to prevent the flooring from becoming slippery or causing public inconvenience, even during prolonged rainwater stagnation.