Bring Glory to Our Villages: Lessons from Padavedu’s Holistic Rural Transformation

Amit Chandra, Co-founder, A.T.E. Chandra Foundation & Chairperson, Bain Capital India Office

On a rainy August morning, I began my journey to the interiors of Tiruvannamalai district in Tamil Nadu. A few hours from both Chennai and Puducherry lies Padavedu, surrounded by a cluster of 17 villages, nestled in the fertile valley once ruled by the Sambuvaraya dynasty. Known in history as the “Land of a Thousand Temples,” this region once housed 1008 Shiva and 108 Vishnu temples.  Of these only a few remain, beautifully restored by the Srinivasan Services Trust (SST), the social arm of the TVS family.

The day began with prayers at some of the historic temples and a wonderful South Indian breakfast before we set out to meet villagers and learn about SST’s work. At first glance, Padavedu seemed similar to many rural settlements I have visited during my decade plus journey of working with farmers: agrarian, hamlet-based, and rooted in the rhythms of land and water. But deeper conversations revealed a remarkable transformation built on resilience, collective action, and the revitalization of one fundamental resource—water.

Thamarai Eri: The Lifeline Pond

At the heart of this story is Thamarai Eri—the “Lotus Pond.” For more than 250 families across Padavedu alone, it is the lifeline, supplying drinking water, recharging groundwater across three kilometers, and even generating panchayat revenue through fisheries. Yet for decades, the pond lay in decline. Encroachments blocked channels from the Kanamalai hills, rainfall was erratic, and the pond went unfilled for 25 years. Wells dried, farming collapsed, livestock revenues vanished, and migration became the only path for the young.  We know that civilizations rise and fall on water. When this pond failed, it triggered an existential crisis: families cut back to single crops, incomes dwindled, and despair grew.

Turning the Tide: A Community Effort

The turning point came in 2017, when SST and villagers joined hands to desilt Thamarai Eri. Over 7,500 cubic meters of silt were cleared, bunds strengthened, and costs shared—₹2 lakhs from the community and ₹3 lakhs from SST. This wasn’t a one-off effort but part of a carefully staged process:

• 2015–16: A diversion check dam and percolation pond at the channel’s origin.

• 2019–21: A 100,000-cubic meter percolation pond and a six-kilometer outlet channel.

• 2022: Encroachments cleared, an 88-meter retaining wall built, and drainage works completed.

This integration of engineering, community ownership, and ecological restoration finally brought not just the pond, but the area back to life!

The Ripple Effect

The revival of Thamarai Eri triggered a chain reaction across the local economy:

• Groundwater Recharge: Water tables rose reviving nearly 800 wells and borewells.  Water which used to often go below 350 feet in the area is now between a few feet to 60 feet, depending on the season

• Drinking Water Security: Over 1,000 households across five nearby villages regained access to potable water

• Sustainable Agriculture: With water restored, 150 acres could now be cultivated year-round, reducing migration pressures.

• Livelihood Diversification: Women’s self-help groups (SHGs) flourished. More than 120 women took up livestock farming, while fisheries boosted panchayat revenue.

A revived Thamarai Eri

I heard stories, which I often hear of how water availability enabled double and triple cropping. With it, it brough improved livestock income, and eventually, with the help of SST, the rise of small women-led enterprises—some generating lakhs in turnover and employing dozens. Walking through Padavedu, I saw improved living standards, heard about reduced migration, and a proud sense of community ownership.

Larger Lessons

The story of Padavedu reinforces two critical lessons.  First, the importance of fixing the foundations. Too often, rural interventions chase quick wins or surface-level indicators. But if the basics—water, land, and institutions—are broken, everything else collapses. Investing in fundamental building blocks creates long-term resilience and ensures social spending yields sustainable returns.

Second, development thrives when purpose meets partnership. I had heard from long from my friend Venu Srinivasan about SSTs work and witnessed how committed their team, led by ex-IAS officer Swaran Singh, is when they made repeated trips to Maharashtra to study models here. Their work proves that when a purposeful institution, with a long term focus, partners with local communities to repair the base, prosperity follows.

More than Water: Restoring Dignity

Standing by Thamarai Eri, listening to farmers proudly describe their progress, I was reminded that rural development is not charity—it is dignity. Restoring agency to communities who have long been treated as passive beneficiaries rather than partners in change, is true nation building.

Padavedu shows us a simple blueprint for rural development:

• Start with water security. Without reliable water, every initiative is fragile.

• Work with communities. Shared contributions create lasting ownership.

• Layer livelihoods on strong foundations. Once agriculture is stable, livestock and SHG enterprises naturally follow.

• Persist with patience. Encroachments, bureaucracy, and challenges are inevitable, but sustained effort delivers visible change.

A Pond, A People, A Possibility

As India pursues its development goals, Padavedu reminds us that the answers lie not in grand schemes but in grounded, persistent local action. The journey from scarcity to sustainability, from migration to opportunity, and from despair to dignity holds lessons for us all.

In the waters of Thamarai Eri, I saw not just a rejuvenated pond but a mirror of what becomes possible when we repair the basics, trust communities, and embrace the steady power of holistic development.

The Land of a Thousand Temples always embodied devotion. Today, that devotion extends beyond shrines the sacred task of spiritually nurturing people, to energising its land and human spirit. If such models are replicated across India, we can revive not just ponds and fields, but the very spirit of rural life—and perhaps see a Viksit Bharat well before 2047.

An aerial view of the rejuvenated waterbody - Thamarai Eri