Every morning, V. Dhanpal makes a visit to the Shiva temple in Okkiyam-Thoraipakkam, off OMR and he is accompanied by his neighbours, P. Ramesh and S. Krishnan. The neatly-laid granite staircase at the temple pond is their favourite hangout, where each of them attends to a task entrusted to them.
Dhanpal pulls out the roots that have come up around the tank. Ramesh collects plastic waste strewn around the premises. Krishnan dips into the tank to remove aquatic weeds in the tank. The primary purpose of the de-weeding exercise is to ensure the health of the nelumbo nucifera, the Indian Lotus, which proliferates in the tank. This lotus is said to be painstakingly grown in the tank for decades. Residents consider it the pride of the pond.
Their work does not end there. Along with other residents of the neighbourhood, the trio is involved in other temple activities, which include regulating the flow of visitors, which include those performing rituals for a deceased family member; checking whether the CCVT cameras around the temple are in order; and ensuring clean water enters the tanks from the various inlets.
“This tank has never turned dry, even during harsh summers. The stormwater drains in the locality are connected to the tank. A rainwater harvesting system is in place,” says 56-year-old Dhanpal, who is also a member of the temple’s trust.
Since March this year, due to the pandemic, only a small group of residents in a neighbourhood are allowed to oversee the maintenance of public places like parks, playground and temple tanks.
The decades-old temple and its tank come under the HR&CE Department and regular maintenance is being done by long-time residents through a public trust.
Spread over one acre, the tank is more than 30 feet deep with 15 long staircases on each of its four sides. A decade ago, it received the benefits of a restoration exercise, which include granite staircases, a special area for conducting rituals, deepening of the tank and construction of a grilled wall. Since then, there has been an increase visitors to the temple. The bouquet of lotuses in the tank has been a major attractions for visitors.
Lotus plants have been grown carefully by dropping seeds in the tank once in three months; removing weeds and ensuring continuous water supply. Most of the used water from the temple is discharged to the tank. The lotus flowers from the tank are used in the temple for worship.