CHARITIES

Dharmamurthi Rao Bahadur Calavala Cunnan Chetty Garu, who has earned permanent fame by establishing a number of charitable institutions, was born in the Calavala family in the year 1869. His father, Mr. Chellam Chetty Garu was a prominent member of the business community of the times. He was a senior partner in Messrs. King and Company dealing in Timbers. Our Founder after graduating from Pachaiyappa's College and the Madras Christian College took over his father's business. As a result of his persevering efforts and business acumen he took Messrs King and Company to great heights and earned wealth and fame.

Normally any rich man will help the poor by providing educational and medical assistance. Mr. Chetty Garu lavished his wealth magnanimously on these two noble items of charity, considering it as merely ephemeral, that which will not accompany us after death and which is no more than a trifle. He was spending more than Rs. 50,000, annually, on the charitable endowments instituted by him in the city of Madras and other places. He established a Sanskrit College at Triplicane to popularise the study of ancient Sanskrit texts. From out of his benefactions are a Primary School for Girls at Chintadripet, a Girls School in Narayana Mudali Street and another School in Thambu Chetty Street, The Middle School at Trivellore and the School at Mambalam were established by him. He also gave financial aid to the school at Needamangalam. Numerous elementary schools were started by him for the poor in the City of Madras and other places.

It is remarkable that he has been endeavouring for the betterment of Public life by his active participation in a big way. He was a Member of the Southern India Chamber of Commerce. He was a Director of the Indian Bank. He was a President of the Pappi Chetty Raghaviah Chetty Charities. He was a Trustee of Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Devasthanam. He was the President of the Mylapore Sangeetha Sabha. He was a partner in  the Madras Pencil Factory. He was the President of the Vysya  Sangam. He was a member of the Governing Body of the Hindu High School, Triplicane. He was a patron of  the Young Men's Education Society. He was the President of  the Arya Yuvajana Sangam. He was a Member of the Chennapuri Mahajana Sabha. He was a Director in Madras Anjuman. He was the Treasurer of  the Madras Pinjrapole. He was a Member of the Society for the prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Besides giving large monetary assistance to the Madras Social Service League, he was one of its Vice- Presidents. He also established a Library for the benefit of the students of the City of Madras. He started Ayurvedic Hospitals in Triplicane, Nellore and Nungambakkam and was managing them. Deeply moved by the sight of the children dying for want of unadulterated milk, he made arrangements for the free distribution of milk in his house at Govindappa Naick Street, George Town. He made arrangements to feed large number of poor children. He extended help to the Ramakrishna Mutt at Mylapore by an annual grant. He constructed a building specially for the Annadana Samajam, where hundreds of poor people are fed daily. He also conducted Night Schools for adults in economically backward areas. Besides, he showed great interest in the industrial development and deputed students on scholarship to Bombay for Training. Every Sunday, hundreds of Poor people were fed by him at Krishnappa Naick Street.

He built a huge Choultry at Egmore for the benefit of sojourners and patients who come to

Madras for treatment. It is no wonder that the residents of Triplicane honoured this philanthropically

minded great man by conferring on him the Title of "Kodai Vallal".

He participated in politics in a big way. He gave a brilliant lecture as the Chairman of the

Reception Committee of the Provincial Conference at Kanchipuram in 1918. He was offered a

Membership in the City Corporation Council.

Our Founder was so service minded that his ' will" says " that bulk of my properties should be utilised for Charities and that my name should be perpetuated not by descendants but by schemes of public benefaction which I am anxious to organize and provide for ..............." He made his Last Will and Testament on 19.7. 1920. by which he bequeathed his entire property for the cause of Education and other public charitable purposes. To fructify his vision he established a Hindu Public Charitable Trust "Dharmamurthi Rao Bahadur Calavala Cunnan Chetty's Charities" and nominated prominent citizens from Arya Vysya Community as Members including his wife Smt. Calavala Seethamma Garu whose willing co-operation and selfless magnanimity made it possible for Dharmamurthi to create the Trust. She was an ideal Hindu wife adhering to the tenets of Dharma. She was an inspirational life partner to our Founder.

The Trustees of Dharmamurthi Rao Bahadur Calavala Cunnan Chetty's Charities are

continuing the Charitable Acitivities as envisaged by Dharmamurthi Rao Bahadur Calavala Cunnan

Chetty Garu who attained the Acharya Thiruvadi in the year 1920.

In the words of the great Tamil poet "Mahakavi Bharathiyar", Sri Rao Bahadur Calavala Cunnan Chetty Garu" stood as a doyen in establishing the "Dharma' during those days and the spirit of equality in other religious should be spread in educational institutions founded by him. He prayed Goddess " Parasakthi" to bestow Her Blessings on him to fulfil this desire (Reference : Mahakavi Bharathiyar's Book titled "Nambikkai").

Dr. Annie Besant paid a fitting tribute to late Calavala Cunnan Chetty Garu in the Memorial Meeting held on 5th August 1920. She said whatever help was needed it was given by  late Calavala Cunnan Chettiar generously. Poorer classes enjoyed the help rendered by him. He had left behind him several Charities for the sake of community at large. She said that good deeds of Sri Calavala Cunnan Chetty would accompany him after death and protect him on his onward path to the other world. She conferred the title "Dharmamurthi" on him posthumously. The citation "Rao Bahadur" was conferred by the British Government for his service to society.

For the noble Cause of Education :

We are managing Two Higher Secondary Schools, Two Matriculation Higher Secondary Schools and one Aided and One Self financing College as detailed below :

1) Dharmamurthi Rao Bahadur Calavala Cunnan Chetty's Hindu Higher Seconary School, Tiruvallur (Estd. 1887) (Co-Educational - Student Strength-about 2,649) morethan 125 years old

2) Dharmamurthi Rao Bahadur Calavala Cunnan Chetty's Higher Secondary School, Perambur -Estd. 1890. exclusive Boys (Student Strength - 1390) more than 124 years old.

3) Seetha Kingston House Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Kilpauk Chennai -10 (Co-educational -Student Strength - 1,187) - Started in the year 1969 to commemorate Founder's Birth Centenary.

4) Calavala Cunnan Chetty's Hindu Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Kakkalur -(Co-Educational - Student Strength - 3536) started from the academic year 2003.

5) Dharmamurthi Rao Bahadur Calavala Cunnan Chetty's Hindu College, Pattabhiram, Chennai-72 (Aided and Self - Financing) both Day and Evening (Co-educational - student Strength - 3878) Started in the  year 1969 to commemorate Founder's Birth Centenary.

Under the banner of all our Educational Institutions we have a total student strength of 12,640.

An exclusive Sanskrit Vidyalaya is run in our Perambur School and the students have shown tremendous zeal in learning the ancient language and passing exams with honours.

We are really proud to say that we do not collect any Capitation Fee whatsoever in all our Educational Institutions.

We are sponsoring Single Teacher Schools in Villages in Tamil Nadu.

Scholarship amounting to about Rupees Twenty Lakhs is given to about one thousand deserving students from Lower Kinder Garten up to Professional Courses every year.

We have N.C.C. (Army and Naval Wings), N.S.S., Scouts, Youth Red Cross, Junior Red Cross, Rotary Club, Red Ribbon Club, NGC in all our Institutions.

Our Students have won many prizes and brought laurels both in academics and in sports. Our Management has instituted a "Group Insurance Scheme" for the entire students and staff of our Institutions against Life and Accident Risks.

For the Cause of Needy and Poor :

 Free Milk  is distributed daily to the children by our Charities through Vasavi Sisu Vihar Trust.

 Monthly monetary sustenance allowance is given to Five Hundred Persons who are very poor and needy among the aged and infirm, destitutes, widows and others who have none to depend upon.

 Regular monthly contribution is paid to the following service - minded Institutions :  Abhaya Nilayam (Vigilance Home), Mylapore  Sri Vasavi Sisu Vihar Trust, George Town  Society for the Protection of Children - The Destitute Home, Washermenpet  Chennapuri Annadana Samajam  Sri Vasavi Medical Relief Society, George Town  Sanskrit College alias Ubhaya Vedanta Vardhini at Sriperambudur  Sri Venkateswara Telugu Educational Trust, Nungambakkam  Dharmamurthi Rao Bhahadur Calavala Cunnan Chetty's Middle School, Chintadripet  Sri Matha Trust (for cancer Patients)  Nethrodaya (Home for the blind)  Sri Vasavi Vruddhajana Seva Vasathi Mandhiram (Home for Aged People) at Sholinghar.  Sri Embar Jeeyar Mutt, Sriperumbudur for propagation of Sri Vaishnavism  Sri Kudamada Koothar Temple and Sri Vaikuntha Natha Perumal Temple for Nitya Deepa

Kainkaryam Sri Venkateswara Suprabatha Goshti for Margazhi Tiruppavai Discourse. Sri Geetha Mandiram for Margazhi Tiruppavai Discourse.

A good number of persons are fed in the Annadana Samajams at Triplicane and at Park Town and Ramakrishna Athmalayam at Cholavaram.

Medical Aid :

Medical Assistance is provided  to deserving persons on merit for undergoing major operations ie., Open Heart Surgery, Kidney Transplant etc.

Donations are given to Deaf and Dumb School, School for the Blind and Leprosy Clinics. Sizeable sums have been donated to Rotary International for "Polio Eradication Fund" and Lions Club for their social and medical aid activities. We have donated sizable sums to Hindu Mission Hospital, Tambaram and The Cancer Institute, Adyar.

We are also conducting Free Comprehensive medical check-up, eye and dental camps for all our students and staff in the Educational Institutions under our Management

For the cause of Religion :

In order to help the pilgrims for their comfortable stay and worship Free Choultries are maintained at Sriperambudur, Kancheepuram, Srirangam and Tiruvali Tirunagari.

Donations are given for Construction and Renovation of Temples which are in dilapidated condition.

Our Charities is performing the following Utsavams :

 "Gurupushyam" Utsavam at Sri Adikesava Perumal and Bashyakaraswamy Temple. Sriperumbudur.

 "Ponna Vahanam' Utsavam at Sri Chenna Kesava Perumal Temple, Chennai

 "Thiru Adipooram" Utsavam at Sri Chenna Kesava Perumal Temple. Chennai

 "Brahmotsavam" Utsavam at Sri Chenna Kesava Perumal  Temple  Chennai

 "Mandagapadi" Utsavam at Sri Kalyana Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Kaladipet, Chennai-19.

 "Kodai" Utsavam at Sri Kalyana Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Kaladipet, Chennai - 19.

 "Yalivahanam" Utsavam at Sri Devarajaswamy Temple, Kancheepuram.

 “Pagal Pathu”, Utsavam at Sri Veeraraghava Swamy Temple, Tiruvallur.

We are also performing "Nitya Kattalai" Pooja for three days at Arulmigu Ranganathaswamy Thirukkoil, Srirangam, Aadipuram Utsavam at Srinivasa Permal Koil, Tiruvallur.

Choultry at Egmore :

The newly constructed Choultry at Egmore is intended for the benefit of patients coming from outstations for medical treatment and who cannot afford to stay in a hotel. This Choultry is a boon to many. The patients are provided free accomodation on production of medical certificate from the concerned medical Superintendents of the Government Hospitals or other Free Hospitals. The Choultry is given to sojourners who come with families for a homely stay.

We Pray the Almighty to Bless our revered Founders with eternal bliss.