CHENNAI: The famous Meenakshi Amman temple at Madurai was reopened to devotees on Saturday after a huge blaze that gutted 40 shops inside the premises on Friday night.

There were no human casualties. A number of pigeons which had made the temple their home perished in the blaze.

Officials confirmed that the sanctum sanctorum was left intact, as also the 7,000-square-feet Vasantharayar Mandapam. However, ancient sculptures on walls near Aayiram Kaal Mandapam were damaged.

Fortunately all the sculptures in the 1000-pillared hall were saved by the timely intervention of the temple officials, workers and the fire and rescue service personnel.

The fire erupted near the eastern tower at around 10.40pm on Friday, police said. Shops along the Swami Sannidhi area were already closed, but fire engulfed many. Fire Force officials at the state headquarters in Chennai said the fire was caused by a spark from one of the toy shops inside the Aayiram Kal Mandapam or 1000 pillar hall near the east tower of the temple around and the smoke engulfed the entire temple.

A team of fire extinguishers battled past midnight to put out the fire and bring the situation under control. The shops which have been destroyed had stocked bangles, kumkum, dolls, statues and pictures of deities.

Madurai District Collector Veera Raghava Rao told the media: “There is no damage to the 1000 Kaal Mandapam. However, there are some minor damages in the Veera Vasantharaya Mandapam. Engineers are inspecting the strength of the nearby buildings.” He revealed that a primary conclusion from a police probe is that the fire was caused by accident. The state government has appointed a special team to probe the fire, which was blamed on a short circuit, prima facie.

The official said the temple does not have any modern fire safety system with sprinklers. “We have a dedicated fire engine stationed in the complex,” he assured.

Rao said devotees are being allowed to visit the temple, and precautionary measures are in place.

Temple rituals would be held as per schedule. However, the eastern side would remain closed for three days as clean-up operations are on.

The iconic temple, also known as Minakshi-Sundareshwara Temple, is a proud symbol of exotic Dravidian architecture. The deity is Parvathi Devi. Centuries old, it was rebuilt by Vijayanagar rulers in the 16th century after it was plundered and destroyed partially by invading armies.