Swimming lessons ripple across generations at this this 150-year-old temple pond in Kozhikode

Kozhikode: At the 150-year-old pond of the Thondayad Vishnu Temple in Nellikkode, barriers of age seem to dissolve with every splash in the water. Over the past nine years, the waterbody has transformed into a learning space where everyone, from five-year-old Daksha to 74-year-old Bindu Ramakrishnan, dives in with equal excitement.

More than a thousand people have been taught swimming free of cost here since 2017. The temple pond emerged as the centre of the initiative when Ravindran, a physical education teacher and then a member of the temple committee, proposed conducting swimming classes there. The committee soon sought the support of Kreeda Bharathi, after which around 10 volunteers, including local residents and temple committee members, stepped forward to serve as trainers.

Under the guidance of Mohandas Payyadimeethal, the volunteers were trained in swimming instruction methods. The first public training camp, held in 2017 over 15 days, drew an overwhelming response, with nearly 200 children learning to swim in its first year. Except during the Covid pandemic, the classes have continued every vacation season since then.

Over time, the initiative began attracting not just children but also their family members. Mothers accompanying their children to the pond soon expressed a desire to learn swimming themselves. In response, women trainers were brought in and today women actively participate in the sessions alongside children.

Among them is Dr Ranju Lakshmi of Meitra Hospital, who initially accompanied her five-year-old daughter Daksha to the classes. After spending a few days watching the sessions from the sidelines, she, too, decided to step into the water and learn to swim.

One day, when Dr Ranju Lakshmi was unable to accompany Daksha, the child arrived at the pond with her grandmother, Bindu Ramakrishnan. Inspired by her granddaughter’s enthusiasm, the 74-year-old joined the classes the very next day, becoming one of the oldest learners at the pond.

To ensure the smooth conduct of the programme and maintain the pond's cleanliness, the temple committee also constituted a pond maintenance committee. While the swimming lessons are offered completely free of cost, a nominal registration fee is collected to support the upkeep of the pond. A batch of 14 trainers currently imparts swimming lessons at the pond daily, sustaining a grassroots initiative that continues to create ripples of change in the community.