Chennai, May 12 : Temples are also centres of economic activity and with the gradual lifting of Covid-19-related lockdown, they should be opened for public, said Tamil Nadu State BJP President L. Murugan. In a statement, Murugan said temples are centres of economic activity as flower/books/photographers/musicians and several others are dependent on place of worship. Murugan said these people too were affected due to lockdown. Considering their economic welfare, temples should be reopened so that such people too can open their shops. There are 36,612 Hindu temples, 57, temples attached to Holy Mutts and 17 Jain temples under the control of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, Tamil Nadu government. The economy of many temple towns such as Rameswaram, Madurai, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur is majorly driven by tourism, hospitality and local trade centred around the famed temples in these towns. /IANS