Much before crowdfunding and kickstarting became part of the topic of discussion, villages in northern Kerala used to crowd-source funds by hosting an evening tea party. Called Kuri Kalyanam, the event would collect funds from the villagers for a specific need (marriage, house construction or house warming).
A tradition that got lost in prominence by the 90s following the easy availability of loans got a lease of life, albeit in a different name when the residents of a remote village in the district came together to fund the road widening projects.
Called 'Road Kalyanam' (meaning road marriage though it has nothing to do with nuptial knots), residents of Kazhuthuttypuraya, also known as West Kodiyathur in Kodiyathur grama panchayat, on Sunday loosened their purse strings to finance the completion of the road work.
Though all families, commercial institutions, temples and masjids along the road have given up their land free of cost for its widening, the West Kodiyathur Vikasana Samithy had to find Rs 50 lakh more, mainly to reconstruct the demolished compound walls and re-erect electric and telephone poles and re-fix the water distribution network.
It was Samithy's finance committee's idea to conduct crowdfunding with the involvement of the whole village. That brainwave resulted in 'Road Kalyanam', maybe the first of its kind event in the state.
With the whole village joining in, there was a festival atmosphere in the village, the enthusiastic residents even inviting representatives from the neighbouring villages. They contributed funds as per their means but celebrated the day with tea, snacks and, no prize for guessing biriyani.
For some villagers, it was a day of reunion of sorts - meeting friends and families after many years.
A road through the village
The Kazhuthuttypuraya-Idavazhikkadavu road acts as a bypass to the Koolimadu-Idavazhikkadavu bridge, which takes the travellers to Kozhikode city and Malappuram district. Over the years villagers have been dreaming of expanding the 3.5-metre-wide road. With the support of the people along the road and Samaithy's proper planning, it is now a 6-metre road.
Three masjids, two temples, two anganwadis, 107 families and an upper primary school gave up their land for the road. In turn, the Samithy promised them that demolished compound walls would be reconstructed.
"On average, we took a metre from each property owner from both sides of the road. In return, we offered them to rebuild the compound walls and fix the electric, telephone poles," said Abdu Rehman Kalangotte, the convenor of the finance committee of the Samithy and the lead of the 'Road Kalyanam' event.
"We had to erect 85 compound walls on either side of the road. We are planning to make walls for those who didn't have them earlier," he said.
Some had to give double the land they were supposed to give from their compound as the property on the opposite side could not be acquired. "Most families here own 10 to 15 cents of land. Still, they were ready to give their land for the road," he said.
The panchayat started the plan for road widening one and a half years ago after 16th ward member M T Riyas proposed the idea. He is the chairman of the Samithy and V C Rajan is the general convenor. They acquire the land, widen the road, reconstruct the walls and do other related works while local panchayat or district panchayat will take over the rest of the works.
Last December, MLA Linto Joseph inaugurated the project. "Even before that, we collected Rs 1 lakh each from 10 individuals as an initial fund. The committee received nearly ₹10.4 lakh via Road Kalyanam. Many individuals and organisations contributed generously," said Rahman.
"To make it a rubberised, 6-metre-wide road, we will hand over the project to the Local Self Government Department," he added.
A village festival
The whole village was in a festive mood on Sunday. And each resident imbibed the spirit of donation. While adults got their money purses out, children bought their piggy banks. Kids from the neighbouring villages too contributed money to the organisers.
"We ensured that each villager has become a 'shareholder' of the road," Musadhik Parakkuzhi, one of the seven leaders of the fund collection.
"We provided tea and snacks for the visitors and gave a packet of biryani as a parting gift. The rice and chicken for the dish came as a contribution. Some of the residents prepared chai and snacks," he added.
For women who left the place after marriage and youths working abroad, Road Kalyanam was a reason for reunion; like Mumthas P Nazer who was delighted to meet her friends from her nursery days.
Elders sat around with old stories over a cup of tea at the chaya makkani, a traditional tea shop, while youngsters enjoyed the musical night and art performances.
