The Miracle of Manjakudi

Swami Dayanand Saraswathi

Ever heard of Manjakudi? Well, it is a small village located on the banks of the river Cauveri in Tiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu near the city of Kumbakonam in South India. Thanks to my dear friend Dr. Sureshwara, my wife and I had an opportunity to visit this village - the birthplace of the well-known Indian monk Sri Dayanand Saraswathi. Our visit was facilitated by Sri Rajagopal, a disciple of Dayanand Saraswathi, a senior manager of Wipro, and a wonderful human being! It was very nice of him to conduct us through the facilities in Manjakudi village. 

Manjakudi is one of the few villages in India where excellent educational facilities are now made available from kindergarten to graduate programs. Built and administered by Swami Dayananda Education Trust (SDET), Manjakudi has spacious primary and high schools, a college that offers undergraduate and graduate programs in arts and sciences, a Veda Paatashaala where all the four Vedas are taught in Gurukulam style, a large auditorium, vast playgrounds and a library.  

Wipro's BPO at Manjakudi

A Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) center of Wipro Technologies is functioning from an independent air-conditioned building. Launched in 2011, Wipro's Manjakudi Development Centre is a successful result of its tie up with SDET.  

Other notable facilities in Manjakudi include a Goshaala (cow shed)  with local and cross-breed cows that yield about 100 litres of organic milk every day, a vermi-composting project that converts organic waste into compost, and a large herbal garden growing medicinal plants.

Higher Educational Facilities

SDET not only provides quality education but also creates employment opportunities to the rural folks in Manjakudi itself to minimize their migration to cities. This way, the rural economy seems to have improved significantly with a large floating population streaming in everyday from neighbouring cities. Some of the city folks have migrated to this village – like the security guard I met who had moved from Bangalore after living there for over 20 years. 

Manjakudi is indeed a miracle! It is a clear demonstration of transforming a sleepy village into a busy hub of educational and economic activities. Swami Dayananda Saraswathi’s dream is now a reality. Manjakudi is indeed a superb model worth replicating in some of India’s other villages. 

We left Manjakudi with our hearts filled with abundant joy and our bellies with sumptuous South Indian vegetarian meals served on banana leaf!