Chennai: The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments minister P K Sekarbabu said devotees will be permitted on Tiruvannamalai hills for the annual Deepam festival only after receiving nod from geological experts.
Addressing reporters on Sunday, Sekarbabu said the Deepam festival was scheduled for Dec 13. He said a team of geological experts must submit their recommendation whether people can be allowed to scale up Arunachala Hills in Tiruvannamalai in the wake of the landslide on Dec 1.
"The recommendation of the experts will be taken to the knowledge of CM. Only then a decision will be taken whether to allow the devotees or not," he said.
The geological experts are studying the strength of the hills and stability of the top soil in the wake of the landslide, which killed seven people. TNN