Chennai: With the Centre admitting that states are in a better position to compile data on artifacts, including temple idols, Tamil culture minister K. Pandiarajan has sought the Union government to allot special funds to preserve the heritage rich idols in thousands of temples across Tamil Nadu.
"The Centre should liberally allocate funds to the state government to enable it to take up a massive exercise of providing GI tag to the idols," Mr Pandiarajan said.
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday the minister said Tamil Nadu abounds in a rich collection of artifacts including rare idols in temples.
"There are over 1.33 lakh artifacts in the state besides at least four crore idols from about 40,000 temples. Tagging the idols or artifacts requires huge funding and this is where the National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA) could play a crucial role," the Minister said and added the NMMA could function more as a funding agency and help the cause of the state government.
On Monday when DMK MP Kanimozhi sought to know if the Centre had any plans to register the artefacts including temple idols in Tamil Nadu,
Union culture minister Prahlad Singh Patel informed the Parliament that States are in a better position to make data on artifacts including the idols in temples.
On the 10th World Tamil Conference (WTC) to be held in Chicago from July 4 to 7, Mr Pandiarajan said the state government would extend all possible help to the Tamil scholars.
