Kadalur Temple Renovation

Project GANESH first visited the Kadalur Shiva temple in November 2004. The magnificent temple complex, at least 1,000 years old, was in a sorry state of disrepair and neglect. Plants and weeds grew from the temple's side and roof, and bats filled the interior of the Shiva temple. A murthi of Sri Ganesh was left inside the Shiva temple, with no existing Ganesh temple evident. A dilapidated and forlorn Devi shrine stood nearby, though a larger Subramanium temple had managed to survive in a slightly better condition, with pujas still being conducted on an occasional basis. The complex stood silently amidst the Tamil Nadu countryside, surrounded by the tapestry of rural life, a mere shadow of its former majesty.

All plans for renovation, however, were swept aside by the massive tsunami that hit India in December, 2005. Coastal villages along the Tamil Nadu coast were hit hard, including Kadalur. Project GANESH undertook numerous relief activites (for details see Tsunami Relief) and renovation efforts were put on hold. At long last, however, the occasion arose for Project GANESH to help renovate this worthy site, as the Kanchi Health and Education Society made a concerted push to restore the complex to its previous glory. The first order of business was to restore the missing Ganesh shrine, and Project GANESH was pleased to be able to meet this need. On September 24th, 2006 both Richard Stocker and Paul Throne attended a bhumi puja (groundbreaking ceremony) for the Ganesh shrine. A number of dignitaries from the KHES attended, as well as a large number of local villagers. The foundation was laid for the temple, with construction to start immediately thereafter. As of March 2007 great progress has been made, with the Ganesh temple essentially completed.

Sri Rajesh of the KHES is now engaging the local residents in the construction of a compound wall, and attention is turning to the Shiva shrine itself. This will be a large undertaking; stay tuned for further details.

 

Bhumi Puja (groundbreaking)	All hands join in!	Spectators
Welcome!	Kadalur Shiva temple	Ganesh temple under construction (Feb 2007)