Temple pond restored after four decades in Mayiladuthurai

The pond at the Uma Maheswarar Temple in Konerirajapuram panchayat, Mayiladuthurai, which had been dry for the past four decades, has been revived and is filled to about 45% of its capacity

The pond at the Uma Maheswarar Temple in Konerirajapuram panchayat, Mayiladuthurai, which had been dry for the past four decades, has been revived and is filled to about 45% of its capacity.

The transformation is attributed to the efforts of local residents who formed a trust to protect the pond . The initiative was supported by Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) and the City Union Bank (CUB).

“The Uma Maheswarar Temple houses one of the biggest Nataraja shrines and is maintained by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department. The three-acre pond, which once had water throughout the year, had dried up due to decades of neglect and was even used as a cricket ground by local youth,” said Jayaraman K.S, Coordinator of the Koneri Rajapuram People Welfare Trust.

Mr. Jayaraman explained that the trust, formed by a group of committed locals, took on the challenge of restoring the pond. “The project was initially estimated to cost over ₹1 crore, which was beyond our reach. However, with generous contributions of ₹70 lakh from the KVB and ₹25 lakh from CUB, along with locally raised funds, we made it possible,” he added.

Within a year, the restoration was completed with new inlet and outlet channels, bringing water from the Cauvery to the pond again.