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THIRUVANMIYUR: Sylvan and serene
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The Jayadasa Trust has transformed the Thiruvanmiyur burial ground by planting trees and improving amenities.
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AMARAR POONGA — it is hard to console those who walk through its gates. They come here to bid farewell to someone they have recently lost. Still mourners leaving the Thiruvanmiyur burial ground feel strangely comforted; their loved one has reached a worthy resting place — a clean, leafy spot: the Garden of Eternity.
Sprucing up a burial ground is not on top of everyone's to-do list — short or long term. But it is the mission of Vasudevan of Jayadasa Trust.
When the Corporation invited individuals and institutions to `adopt' the 33 interment spots in 1998, he was one of the few who came forward. When the responsibiltiy for the three-acre area's maintenance fell on him, Vasudevan knew it would be a dead-end task to improve it.
What he wasn't prepared for was the thick manuscript of rules passed on to him — a plethora of don'ts post-scripted by penalties, an equal number of dos to be overseen by officials. He had to raise funds, pay for power and personnel and keep the place clean to the satisfaction of the Commissioner. In September 1998, he began work by planting saplings collected from the Forest Department. A broken compound wall and gate allowed cattle to make a feast of it. People using the ground as a short-cut damaged the rest. He placed an advertisement in the local paper for contributions and approached the C.P.R. Centre for advice. People scoffed at the idea of upgrading a `futureless' place. But friends, relatives and residents of the area chipped in. The bushes were bulldozed, the gate was mended and the break in the compound wall was repaired. The temple inside was reconstructed and iron grills installed for burning the bodies.
The C.P.R. Centre sent a landscaping plan and suggested the type of trees to be grown. Rajendra Raja at Loyola Business School drew up a TQM plan.
At a public function, Vasudevan invited the area bigwigs to plant 200 saplings. Under a gardener's care, the vilvam, neem, jamun and an assortment of avenue trees flourished. Coconut, bamboo and casuarina were planted to make the burning ghat self-sustaining.
The next task was pumping water for the plants. A solar panel to run a motor seemed an ideal solution. But construction was prohibited.
Vasudevan made tireless trips to the Corporation. He would repair the toilets and provide water, if permission was given to put up the solar panel.
He waited seven months before the proposal was okayed by the Commissioner. A tech client offered money for the panel. But for a subsidy he had to write to the Central Government. The panel went into operation. With the motor at the lowest level, pumping water is no more a problem.
This burial ground is the only place in Chennai with this facility. And the only place that maintains a visitors' book.
"I have been invited to adopt the Taramani funeral ground," says this soft-spoken idealist. "I shall do it if the zone chairman clears the papers." In August, the poonga will be celebrating three years of rebirth.
If you'd like to contribute to Vasudevan's trust or just get in touch with him, call 24913248/ 24466550/ 24424791 or visit www.jayadasa.com.
GEETA PADMANABHAN
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