Tamil Nadu has the third most numerous monuments and heritage sites in the country, all maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) but a majority of them lack even the basic amenities, a reply to the Lok Sabha has revealed. Of 412 such sites in the state, drinking water is available at just 78 sites and toilets ate available in 26 monuments.

There is a stark contrast in the maintenance of centrally protected monuments at Mamallapuram and Sadras on East Coast Road (ECR). While the Unesco-tagged sites at Mamallapuram, which includes the famous shore temple, have been provided with basic amenities such as drinking water, parking lots and toilets, such facilities are conspicuous by their absence at the equally well known Dutch fort and cemetery at Sadras, a mere 10 km from Mamallapuram.