A serene place: Wedding halls dot Thiruvidanthai, which is known for the famous temple. As farming is not lucrative enough, people are selling off their land and going in for other jobs in Chennai and surrounding areas. This trend is driving up the real estate sector.
| Photo Credit: Deepa H. Ramakrishnan
A little beyond the Tambaram police limits on the East Coast Road (ECR), one cannot miss the welcome arch of the Sri Nithyakalyanaperumal Temple at Thiruvidanthai. The presiding deity, along with His Consort Sri Akhilavalli Thayar, of this temple, one of the 108 Divyadesams, is said to bless devotees with speedy marriage.
Wedding halls dot this tiny village that is known primarily for the temple. Two newly constructed halls have joined the race to provide space to those wishing to conduct the ceremonies near the temple.
Inadequate toilets
Residents have been demanding basic amenities, including toilets, bathrooms, and rest areas, for the temple. “Hundreds of devotees visit here daily. The crowds increase on muhurtham days and week days when Thirukalyanam is performed. The temple is under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India. The existing toilets are inadequate and not clean enough. Devotees go to homes asking to use the restrooms. We cannot allow people day in and day out. It has become a major disturbance,” said G. Raja, a resident.
Sundar, a native of the village, said a lot of real estate development is happening around the area, thanks to the temple. “The presiding deity is Sri Varaha Perumal; hence, people believe that if they buy land here, they will prosper. Though ours has primarily been an agrarian economy, people are selling off their land and going in for other jobs in Chennai and surrounding areas. There is not much income from agriculture these days. Real estate is booming here. In fact, one locality is known as the officers’ area since senior officials have bought land and built homes there,” he added.
Affordable prices
Giri Parthasarathy, who moved to Thiruvidanthai to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, said proximity to the Information Technology Corridor was an attraction. “I used to live at Ashok Nagar and the commute to my office used to be very hectic. My office is now at Sholinganallur. It takes only 30 minutes. We have shops at Kovalam and Kelambakkam, and malls on the ECR and the Old Mahabalipuram Road. The air here is so clean and the beach is a few minutes’ walk. You can see a lot of birds here. I preferred the ECR to the OMR since that road is congested, and this one is developing very slowly. Property prices were within my reach when I bought this house,” he said.
Published – November 18, 2025 10:53 pm IST
