How Aranpani grew
Kotchenga Chozhar Aalayam Amaipom Project
At a gathering held at Nambi Aarurar temple in Thirunavalur, one of our volunteers shared the discovery of sculptures, including Siva Lingam and Nandhi, in a village named ‘Vazhutharetti’ near Vizhuppuram bypass. They recounted how local devotees began building a temple that had to be paused due to insufficient funds. Our volunteer requested financial support to continue the construction.
After the event, while discussing with volunteer members involved in Nambi Aarurar’s temple project, another volunteer pointed out various places where ancient Siva Lingam sculptures were exposed to the weather, leading to potential erosion. This led a group of volunteers to visit ‘Vazhutharetti.’
During the visit to the rural village near Vizhuppuram bypass, we encountered challenging weather conditions, and wading through knee-deep water, we found Siva Lingam and other idols partially submerged in the waters. Some of the idols had temporary roofing, while others were exposed.
We also noticed a small temple structure under construction, paused at four feet high. Speaking with local devotees, we learned that a 22-year-old woman, a daily wage earner and mother, had been funding the temple construction with her modest daily earnings.
Recognizing the potential of Aranpani Trust initially established to restore Raja Raja Chozhan's memorial site, we devised a plan to cover four specific projects to expand, reach out and assist where needed:
Plan 1: Install roofs and platforms
Plan 2: Construct new temples
Plan 3: Renovate temples while conserving historic structures
Plan 4: Maintain existing temples
We aimed to involve people from all walks of life through Rs. 100 a month donation scheme to aid in fulfilling the projects.
Since its launch in Jan 2021, Aranpani has successfully grown to 10,000+ members, overseeing over 15 temple projects and counting.