The renovation work at the famous Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai is almost done. About 90% of the major tasks are complete, said a senior HR&CE official on January 19, 2026. The Tamil Nadu government approved continuing with the same Board of Trustees, led by Chairperson Rukmini Palanivelrajan. The biggest challenge was rebuilding the Veera Vasantha Rayar Mandapam, damaged by a fire in 2018. Shops were gutted, pillars destroyed, and roof tiles needed replacement. With help from IIT Madras experts, 41 granite pillars have been installed so far. "This was a major task. Getting pillars of the same size and with other identical specifications was time-consuming," the official said. Work is ongoing to lay 2.5 lakh roof tiles above the Amman and Swamy Sannidhis. All gopurams, including four nine-tier towers, are being restored. Interior temple pillars are also being cleaned. The temple will add 75 more CCTV cameras to the existing 50 for better security. Nighttime cleaning around the temple has been improved. For the first time, the parking space at the Ezhu Kadal commercial complex was auctioned publicly. The Ellis Nagar complex now has three-phase electricity. Authorities are enhancing use of temple properties in Ponmeni and other areas. Six guides are appointed, and training of priests and singers has restarted. The temple kitchen will get an eco-friendly upgrade, replacing wood-fire cooking. The trustees thanked Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and ministers P.K. Sekar Babu, P. Moorthy, and Palanivel Thiaga Rajan for their support. They are confident the remaining work will finish soon as per agama shastra rules.