Tamil Nadu Expands Free Temple Meals Scheme, Benefiting 5 Lakh Devotees

In a major welfare expansion, the Vijay government in Tamil Nadu has scaled up the daily Annadhanam (free meal) scheme across ten prominent temples in the state by hundred percent. Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister C. Ramesh officially inaugurated the expanded program at the Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Kundrathur, Kanchipuram district, alongside senior ministers and officials.The initiative fulfills an announcement made during the 2026–2027 legislative assembly session's demand for grants. Beneficiary counts have been significantly doubled across key shrines, including the Perur Pateeswarar Temple in Coimbatore, Sivanmalai Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Tiruppur, Kanchipuram's Devarajaswamy and Ekambaranathar temples, and the Angala Parameswari and Kasi Viswanatha Swamy Temple in Choolai, Chennai in most cases from 100 to 200 daily .This enhancement adds 2,25,475 newly covered devotees annually, bringing the total number of beneficiaries across these ten temples to 5,08,350 every year. Following the launch, Minister Ramesh joined devotees to partake in the meals.Rooted in history, the Annadhanam initiative was originally introduced in 2002 by late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa as a free mid-day meal program for temple devotees. Over successive administrations, the scheme was progressively expanded and upgraded into an all-day free meal service across selected major temples.Emphasizing the larger vision behind the project, Minister Ramesh told NDTV, "Through the expansion of the Annadhanam Scheme, we are strengthening the spirit of compassion, equality, and service to humanity by ensuring that more devotees benefit. It reflects our commitment to accountable governance, the welfare of devotees, and the principle that serving people is serving God."