KOVIL MAIYAM

“The world-famous economic historian Angus Maddison, in his work – The World Economy: Historical Statistics – has documented that India and China together dominated the world economy between 1 CE to 1700 CE. In CE 1,

India alone contributed to 32% of the world GDP. While the Indian share slowly declined after 1000 CE, it was still 25% in 1700. In 1804, a monograph published in the British Journal ‘The Edinburgh Review’ mentions that Indian income is much higher than Britain’s.” Professor Adam Hardy an architect and architectural historian, and Professor of Asian Architecture at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University says “The foundation and endowment of temples played a central role in the development of state and society.

Temples became social and educational centers, and important economic institutions – landowners, employers, moneylenders and dispensers of charity. They were a canvas for the visual arts, a stage for the performing arts. Primary schools were run in the temple premises, admitting all children with no prejudice. Agricultural surplus was given as offering to the deity and the temple’s committee managed this surplus. This ensured easy re-distribution of wealth locally. Also, people who provided services at the temple – priests, musicians, dancers, crafts people and village medicine practitioners – were all supported by the temple, from these offerings made by local villagers.

Temple committees were made for the purpose of resolving disputes, sharing water and other resources and rulers largely did not interfere beyond ensuring that adequate representation was available from all sections of society. Agriculturalists also shared some of the annual crop with doctors to ensure locally managed healthcare. Starting with the destruction of our native education system, initiated by British colonial administrators like Thomas Babington Macaulay, our native economy, education and healthcare rapidly deteriorated and we fell behind the rest of the world.

Indian GDP fell down from 25% in 1700 to 3% to 1947. To reverse this fall, and reclaim our heritage which has been hidden by the centuries of colonialism, Aram ValarthaNayakiSevaiMaiyam is taking few steps in the form of our KovilMaiyam- Temple as the Centre of the community

In each of the temples we will partner with, we will run the following programs

1.SakthiMaiyyam – Promoting Indian concept of women
2.SaraswatiMaiyam – for educational support
3.DhanvantriMaiyam – for healthcare
4.PrapanchaMaiyam – Ecological preservation
5.Mano Maiyam – for improving mental health

We intend to select only neighborhood temples in low-income localities of Chennai City and its suburbs to provide these 5 services entirely free of cost to beneficiaries. This way we hope to take back some of the ancient glory for which our Tamil land has been known since time immemorial.

Sakthi Maiyam

In our Bharatheeya tradition women and girls were placed on high pedestal. Women play different roles in different part of her entire life. The basic building block of our society is family and women act as
the fulcrum of each family. So for a society to move forward women of that society should be educated about their roles and responsibility for a healthier society.

Through Sakthi Maiyam we organise the women of each kovil maiyam and will train them in

1.Self-empowerment

2. Family Development

3. Social Development

Saraswathi Maiyam

Swami Vivekananda Says “Education is the manifestation of perfection already in men”. Children in slums have pool of talents already with them. But they lack guidance not only in academics but also in their moral aspects. We through Saraswathi Maiyam of each kovil Maiyam supports children by providing

  1. Academic and moral support through learning centers.
  2. Identifying and Training intelligent students for competitive examinations. 
  3. Skill Development.

 

Dhanvantri Maiyam

 

“Sharira Madhyam Khalu Dharma Sadhanam” (Physical body is the medium for the righteous action) writes Mahakavi Kalidasa. For a healthier society each of the individual should also be healthier. So through Dhanvatri Maiyam of each Kovil Maiyam we try to establish a healthier society by  

  1. Educating about Home remedies
  2. Life style Training
  3. Conducting Health Camps

Prapancha Maiyam

To make people understand that each living being is important for the well being of this  universe and to bridge the gap between human beings and other living creatures.

  1. We help people live harmoniously with nature through the Indian view of the environment. (There is Divinity pervading through the entire Universe)
  2. Daily practice to build a relationship between an individual and environment.
  3. we help the people to maintain their surrounding environment clean by training them in preserving local water bodies and reducing the usage of plastics through KovilMaiyam

Mano Maiyam (Mental Wellness)

 

Self-confidence and community support are essential for people to stay away from liquor, drugs, and suicide. When major problems arises as per the Government of India report, Chennai ranks first among the major cities in suicidal rate

 To overcome this, we are conducting

 

  1. Forum to build confidence in the people
  2. Life Style Training – Yoga, Meditation & Pranayama
  3. To train people to practice Vrathams to overcome the problems.