Last year, one morning, Amudha madam called me to share some deeply disturbing news from Kameswaram village.
“Madam, a mother had come to pray at the Mariamman Temple during the early morning hours and while she was praying, her daughter wandered to the temple pond, slipped, fell in and drowned. Today, we are all going to the funeral.”
Raveena continued, “Everyone is so sad ma’am, both temple and our office (which is in the temple complex also) are going to be closed today.”
I kept thinking: When parents come to pray, what are their children supposed to do? Naturally, children get bored. They want to run around and play. Yet, in most Indian villages I have visited, there are hardly any playgrounds for children.
In Kameswaram, we now have some recreational facilities for children on the beach, thanks to the Blue Flag certification initiative. But elsewhere in the village, there was nothing.
And so, I decided that we must create a children’s playground.
From a dumping ground to a garden
I approached the temple authorities, and Mr. Kamaraj, the head temple trustee, very kindly agreed to give us a portion of the temple land.
But there was a problem. “you see, the temple grounds have also become a dumping place for waste, particularly from the nearby marriage hall. If you can clean the rubbish, you can have a parcel for the garden.”
It took six months of hard work just to clear the land!
Then we installed an ecological fence. But the goats promptly ate through it! So, we had to put up a green net around the trees we had planted as ecological fence.
Slowly, over nearly two years, the garden began to take shape. The rubbish disappeared, though if you dig to plant anything, you will come across construction waste, plastic bottles and packaging material. But at least the garden area became clean, and plants and herbs began to form a lovely green border. There is still a dumping area in another corner of the temple complex, but our little garden has already transformed the appearance and atmosphere of the place.
There was just one problem left.
Where was I going to find the money for the playground equipment?
Slides, swings, merry-go-rounds and other play equipment all cost money. And FIN Trust has to raise funds for every activity we undertake.
An unexpected wedding gift
At this time, I was also very busy with family preparations because my daughter Divya was getting married.
Then something wonderful happened.
Divya and her fiancé, Cedric, came to me and said:
“Amma, we would like to use our wedding gifts to support charities, and your children’s playground can be one of the main beneficiaries.”
I could hardly believe my ears!
Instead of keeping their wedding gifts for themselves, they wanted to share their happiness with others. And thanks to their generosity, the playground that I had been dreaming about could finally become a reality.
I was absolutely thrilled.
October 2, 2026: A day of joy!
During my recent visit to Kameswaram, the playground equipment was finally installed.
And on October 2, Gandhi Jayanthi, the Divya & Cedric Children’s Park was inaugurated by Mr. Kamaraj and the village elders.
What a thrilling sight it was!
Children were laughing, running around and enjoying the merry-go-round, the bouncing duck, the monkey bars and the slide.
After all the difficulties, the cleaning, the fencing, the planting, the fundraising and the waiting, there they were — happy children playing!
And now, when parents come to pray at the Mariamman Temple, their children have a lovely place to enjoy themselves nearby.
A heartfelt thank you
This little park would never have become a reality without the dedication of our FIN Trust team.
Meena Madam, who worked tirelessly and did the most to bring my vision of a garden to life.
Nagalakshmi Madam, who helped Meena Madam so diligently throughout the process.
Amuda Madam and Raveena Madam, who oversaw the maintenance arrangements and helped identify someone to care for the garden.
Mahalakshmi Madam, who waters the plants every day and maintains the garden.
Paranjothi Sir, who handled the logistics and identified the Chennai-based company, Andycain, which supplied and installed the playground equipment so efficiently.
This was Ankidyne’s first village installation, and they did an excellent job.
My sincere thanks also go to Mr. Kamaraj and the temple authorities, who made the land available, and to the village elders who joined us for the inauguration.
And finally, my deepest thanks to Divya and Cedric.
What a beautiful way to celebrate a marriage — by creating a place where village children can laugh, play and make happy memories for years to come!
May the Divya & Cedric Children’s Park bring joy to the children of Kameswaram for many, many years!
Prof. Dr. Shyama V. Ramani
Founder-Director, Friend In Need India Trust