The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Voluntary body cleans up Srirangam temple

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 06, 2007
ePaper

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Voluntary body cleans up Srirangam temple

Staff Reporter

It has been supporting temples in 108 Divya Desams

PHOTO: R.M. RAJARATHINAM

WITH a SMILE: Volunteers cleaning up the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam. —

TIRUCHI: About 60 volunteers from Selfless Movement Improving Life Everywhere (SMILE), a Chennai-based voluntary organisation, have taken up a three-day cleaning camp at the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam, from Monday, ahead of Vaikunta Ekadasi celebrations.

The volunteers, hailing from Chennai, Vellore and Madurai, have removed cobwebs, oil stains and swept the mandapams in the temple.

They have cleaned Renga Vilas mandapam, Chakarathazhvar sannidhi, Ramanuja sannidhi, Karuda mandapam, Arujuna mandapam and praharam before the sanctum sanctorum.

The Thousand Pillar Mandapam would be cleaned on Wednesday, said P. Ranjani, a committee member of SMILE.

SMILE has been involved in cleaning activities for various temples and has so far cleaned about 425 temples in the State. They include Sri Jambukeswarar Akilandeshwari Temple, Thiruvanaikaval, Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal Temple, Gunaseelam and Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai.

Last month, the organisation was in town to clean the Azhaiyasingar Perumal Temple on account of Sahasradeepam festival.

The organisation has been supporting temples in 108 Divya Desams.

“About 40 temples in the Divya Desam are in poor condition and lack basic amenities. We support them by taking care of some of their basic requirements every month,” Ms. Ranjani says.

The organisation, which doesn’t collect cash, looks for contributions from people to support these temples.

Contributions can be in the form of clothes, vessels or foodgrains.

SMILE can be reached at 94440-82156 or thesmileworld@gmail.com.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu