Rengasamudram

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Rengasamudram

The Tower of the eighteenth century temple of Venkitachalapathy overlooks the village agraharam (street). This single street in front of the temple in the village was widened and concreted by the local elected member recently. The Tamrabarni River flowing nearby provides drinking water to the villagers. The same river supplies life sustaining water to neighbouring towns including Sankaranayanar Kovil an important pilgrim centre. Public transport buses plying twice a day gives the villagers connectivity to the Taluka HQ Ambasamudram in Tirunelveli District. The local administration caters to the population of around 2000. A local citizens committee funded school Amrita Vidyapeeth runs classes up to eighth standard of the State Board. To complete studies up to 10th standard the students must travel to Ambasamudram daily. This is a major deterrent especially to girl students.

For the school drop outs, especially girl children and women, the only occupation is rolling tobacco leaves. The men work in the brick kilns. Both these occupations keep them below the poverty line. Both these occupations have their health hazards. The others are agriculturist share croppers and goat breeders. However these are not paying propositions due to high input costs and there are no alternatives. The villagers also lack basic amenities such as toilets, a primary health centre, and vehicles to take the sick to the nearest hospital.

Across the river at Tiruppudaimarudur legend has it that the leaning Sivalinga was installed by the Pandava hero Arjuna and hence known as Madhyama Arjuniyam. Few meters on the same side is another important temple of Gajendra Varada Perumal, the one who gave salvation to the mighty elephant in the throes of a powerful alligator. Up the same river is the man made perennial Agastyar falls and Papavinasom temple of Lord Siva. All these places are frequented by the faithful on all days of the year.

The ‘Advocate Alleppey S. Vaidyanatha Charitable Foundation’ has been established to address the above problems of the villagers of Rengasamudram.

  • Computer literacy, tailoring classes and encouraging kitchen gardening and basket weaving are the activities of the foundation towards economic upliftment and income generation for the villagers.
  • Giving fillip to secondary education through free tution classes to aspiring ones. *Providing common toilets for improving general hygiene. .
  • Provide subsidized ambulance facility for taking the sick and the ailing to the nearest hospital six kilometers away at Ambasamudram
  • Arrange weekly visits by medical specialists for identifying and preventing spread of diseases.

Though the foundation hopes to fund these activities and foot revenue expenditure, philanthropic individuals and corporate entities are welcome to join in this endeavour by funding these and other future activities like fish farming and alternate sources of energy for domestic use and stop degradation of forest covers.

Rengasamudram is a branch post office under Bhramadesom (627 413) in Ambasamudram taluka in Tamilnadu. The foundation can be contacted at 091 4634 293460: 091484 2355783 also cell 09486402330. Email ID: vram1932@rediffmail.com