<span style="color: #222222;">In Tamilnadu, the famous Veera Vasantha Rayar Mandapam (hall or platform) of the iconic Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple, is being completely renovated at a cost of Rs. 18 crore.</span><br />''<br />''Sixteen pillars, each 23 feet high, that gave the Mandapam its characteristic grandeur are being rebuilt using special black rocks.<br />''<br />''Special studies were made with the assistance of IIT Chennai at 16 places and on the basis of this, rocks from Kalarampalli hills, bordering Rasipuram in Namakkal district near Trichy have been selected for constructing the pillars.<br />''<br />''Tamilnadu state ministers R B Udayakumar and Dr V Saroja jointly inaugurated the black rock excavating works at R Pattinam, near Rasipurm today.<br />''<br />''The ministers have expressed confidence that the onerous work of excavating about one lakh cubit feet of rocks can be safely completed in a year's time.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">The four century old Vadantha Rayar Mandapam had been gutted by a fire in February 2018.</span><br />