Holding discarded plastic bottles in her dozen fake hands, Amudha, a school-goer strutted down the northern bank of Vaigai, donning the Trash Protectress. Along its banks, people hunted, fished and lived, settlements were established which later powered the area’s industrial growth. He was instrumental in promoting various network organizations. All our efforts have borne fruit.” Felicia Young of Earth Celebrations, who conceived the pageant, says, “I hope the people of Madurai take this first step to the next level by not polluting the river further.” Citing how her maiden project for the Hudson River at New York became successful with people’s participation, Felicia adds, “It’s a long consistent process to clean a river. During a visit to the Temple town in 1989, she witnessed the famous celestial wedding of Goddess Meenakshi. Development of Humane Action (DHAN) Foundation, an NGO and nonprofit organization based in Madurai, South India, has a mission to “build people and institutions for development innovations and upscale (them) to enable poverty reduction and self-reliance in poor communities.” The program has identified ‘Water’ as a unique tool for alleviating poverty and has evolved into a separate people’s institution, the ‘DHAN Vayalagam (Tank) Foundation (DVTF)’. Writer, speaker on Neeya Naana Vijay TV Show The partners have made a commitment of at least five years to this project and effort. Community partners include: DHAN Foundation, Tata/DHAN Academy, Thiagarajar College of Engineering and Architecture, Fatima College, Lady Doak College, Vivekananda College, American College, Sri Meenakshi Government College for Women, Gandhi Museum, Women’s Empowerment Groups with DHAN Foundation, Madurai Corporation (Deputy Director, S. Shanti), City Officials (Mayor, Rajan Chellappa, Collector I. Subramanium), Rotary Club Madurai, Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Sundararaja Perumal Temple and Vandiyur MariammanTemple, Chairpersons of four corporation zones, Superintending Engineers of TWAD Board and Tamil Nadu Housing Board District Forest Officer and District Revenue Officer and diverse stakeholders of Madurai. • Develop solutions for river restoration. More colleges in Madurai district had shown a keen interest in associating themselves with the project, Mr. Vasimalai said and added that it would evolve around a long-term sustainable plan. Email this Article ... A sunrise over Vaigai River in Madurai Tamil Nadu India.jpg There is no point in talking about Vaigai’s glory only in the past tense, says A.Gurunathan, the project director of the long-term Vaigai River Restoration Project initiated by the DHAN Foundation. The organisers have asked the people of the city to save their used plastic and tin cans as the fish which is going to be brought to the city on Saturday would be decorated with the trash cans by the people of the city themselves, including students and anyone who is interested. The native third generation New Yorker who is also a community cultural development artist and theatrical pageant director is working on Vaigai River Restoration Pageant (VRRP) with local stakeholders and aims to stop further ruin of the river. “Only the community that uses and needs the river can honour and protect it,” says Felicia Young, the Founder and Executive Director of “Earth Celebrations”, a non-profit organisation in New York. She has produced large-scale theatrical pageants for the past 25 years such as the Rites of Spring: Procession to Save Our Gardens (1991-2005) on the Lower East Side of New York City, which mobilized a grass-root effort and directly led to the preservation of many community gardens on the Lower East Side and throughout New York City. India can seem so chaotic; I can’t even believe how that whole thing came together. Rajasekaran as Co-Director of the Vaigai River Restoration Pageant Project will coordinate with DHAN Foundation and Earth Celebrations, engage collaborating community partners, artists, and performers, and manage production logistics. But the Vaigai has the potential of becoming a grand waterway again, says Felicia. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law, Contact Felicia Young Here – Mayor V.V. SL.NO DETAILS DOWNLOAD 1: Vaigai River Restoration Pageant: 2: Vaigai River Restoration Project The cultural pageant slated for May 12 will have all the necessary elements of colours, creativity and concepts and also push forth an important message. Against the norm of 135 litres per capita per day (LPCD), residents are only getting around 100 LPCD. And finally the water from the giant kumbham will be poured into the river in a symbolic gesture. Later on, we full-fledged entered into the field of preparation of a thesis in supporting Research scholars all over India. These custodians would be honoured during the pageant. Brookfield Properties/ arts>World Financial Center On going engagement and actions continued to thrive with river clean up actions, full moon ceremonies and processional river walks, and a Vaigai River Restoration Trust was established along with an official panel appointed by the Mayor of the City. Ensure the Idols are Made of Clay, The Hindu, Image Sources Starting from Top: K. Ananthan, The Hindu; Earth Celebrations Hudson River Pageant Puppet Workshop, New York City; • local artists, performing groups, schools, environmental organizations, community and cultural centers that are invited to participate in the collaborative creative process and culminating performance. Vaigai Herbal Hair Oil. The Vaigai River pageant jointly organised by Earth Celebrations and DHAN Foundation brought together citizens from various walks of life and sparked off healthy discussions on how to rejuvenate the river. The project aims to link rivers via a network of canals and reservoirs all across India. A cow, considered holy by many Indians, grazes on refuse left behind by the drying of the Vaigai river. About the project The project involves construction of a 255.60-kilometre (158.82 mi) long canal from Mayanur in Karur district to link river Kaveri with Vaigai . Quick View. Felicia is confident that the educative and innovative VRRP will get people to initiate positive change. Felicia Young of Earth Celebrations shared her Hudson experience with the participants. • Utilize ecologically friendly practices in the creation of art projects, incorporating the use of recycled, natural and organic materials. The Foundation aims to restore water quality and access water through tank-based watershed development supporting agriculture needs. Men in procession carrying large decorative ambala kalvadis. Following the girls, a large posse of housewives, self-help-group women, college students, citizens and few big-wigs of the town walked a distance of over five kilometres along the river, holding banners that called for the cause of a clean Vaigai. A project to restore the Vaigai River in Madurai, India that is in a severe crisis due to pollution, waste dumping, and the drying effects of climate change. • Build partnerships and engage, city officials, corporations, environmental organizations, activists, farming groups, schools and universities active on the river. Though the Vaigai river bank does not have the luxury of space like Sabarmati has, Corporation Commissioner S. Aneesh Sekhar said that they were doing their best to make the project … Made with eco-friendly items, each of the arms will carry trash like wrappers and plastic bottles and bags to highlight the kind of items that pollute the river and how they should be disposed off properly. Cultural and political debate program in Tamil Nadu. ENGAGE COMMUNITY AND YOUTH THROUGH WORKSHOPS, Educational Environmental Art Workshop Series: January – April 2015 Communities come together to create them,” she says, and adds, “I am inspired to make this project happen and it is only a start in turning the river into a truly vibrant public space.”. According to Felicia, it worked as a catalyst to mobilise the community at grassroots level, won support of elected officials, media and philanthropists and resulted in saving hundreds of community gardens in the city. People will be able to earn SoCCs by helping with the pageant, and river cleaning actions such as waste management, maintaining irrigation channels and water tanks, planting trees etc. The District Collector, the Mayor and the Commissioner of Madurai Corporation have given their consent for the cultural pageant. Biography. Dr. Geeta Mehta, PhD, Project Co-Sponsor, Founder/President of Asia Initiatives. Students of Fatima College are coming out with poetry on the river, which would be displayed on a rickshaw during the pageant. Vaigai River Restoration Pageant Project: To celebrate and restore Vaigai River’s water, species, and habitat in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, South India She has worked on community focused design and poverty alleviation projects in India, Ghana, Kenya, Jamaica, Brazil, and Colombia. PROCESSION ROUTE Vasimalai, Phd, Co-Founder/Co-Sponsor is the Founder/ Executive Director of the DHAN Foundation in India. Artisans and replicas of all things connected to the river will walk the pageant on May 12, under the initiative of Earth Celebrations. Madurai, situated on the banks of the Vaigai River, in Tamil Nadu, Southern India is known as the Temple City of India. Verses from Thevaram and Silapathigaram, in praise of Vaigai were also sung during the procession. 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