Trip to Thriuvaheendrapuram , tamil nadu

S and me made a day trip to meet an amazing couple in the temple town of Thiruvaheendrapuram, near Cuddalore, Tamilnadu. Their zest and zeal and energy for taking care and running a school for 650 children, totally from donations, is mind blowing. It is all we always wanted to do, but never got around to taking the first step; starting a school for less privileged children and giving it all that we have got.

Let me begin at the beginning. A friend of ours sent me a mail a few weeks ago, recommending a visit to the school this wonderful couple are running, very successfully. He said he has been associated with this school for over 3 years now(the school is 13 years old) and finds it worth being involved in its activities.

So we went there yesterday. I was really shocked to know that the man retired from service 20 years back.He is so energetic and enthusiastic!.His wife who was in charge of home management till then, got involved with starting a school which was his dream come true. She is the correspondent of the school and it was a pleasure to see her manage the affairs with such dedication, enthusiasm and flair. They seem to be eating, breathing and sleeping with only the school in their thoughts and actions.

This is a temple town. Vedanta desikar, a famous Vaishnavaite scholar and devotee has spent over 40 years here. It has the typical  charm of a small  temple town. The couple are deeply devoted and take part round the year in the temple activities including annadhanam.

The children are all quite a happy lot, energetic and with broad smiles. The entire premises was very very neat and the children well groomed. We went round the classes. 10th standard students had come and were allowed to prepare for the mock exam in the afternoon. Though space is a constraint, they were given room to prepare, as most of them would lack good study environment at home. The library was very impressive with books neatly catalogued and easy accessible. They do need more books for very small kids though. A company as part of their CSR had donated latest computers and full furniture for the computer room.Two of the teachers are proficient in computers and so using them well is not going to be an issue I was told. Play equipments were available but since this is exam time, they were kept away in the sports room. Again they have been donated by another company.

We were shown albums of important events that took place in the school and I was able to see them wearing quite colourful and beautiful dresses. I asked the principal how they are able to afford the special costumes. He said the parents will not have money to pay the fees or the bus fees but would be very keen to have their child take part in the school day celebrations.They readily part with the necessary cost for the costumes. They are so proud to see their children don good costumes and are on the stage!

The school is run totally on donations and the children are charged nominally for the school fees and bus fees. Really deserving students are given fee waiver and adjusted from the donations that they receive. Teachers are from nearby areas and are with service mindset. They appeared very enthusiastic and eager to be with the children.

I asked the principal the reason for the children to come to this school, paying fees when they can go to a government school nearby which gives them even noon meal. He said, the children are individually well cared for, and there are lots of value additions and extra curricular and co curricular activities that are being given here, which they lack in a government school. Yoga instructor comes twice a week and children learn yoga. They are taught ramayanam and also take an exam at periodic intervals. They play the bhagavad gita slokas during assembly and I was very happy to see UKG students recite quite a few slokas from the gita.

The school has upto 10th standard and it deserves full kudos for the courage and commitment of the founders and the trustees who are running the school in a very very positive and fulfilling manner.