Residents of Thavalapallam village in Pudukottai district have united to sponsor the renovation of an ancient church apparently built over 200 years ago by Jesuit priest and Tamil scholar Constantine Joseph Beschi, also known as ‘Veeramamunivar’, with the aim of re-opening it for worship and as a local tourist spot.

Once an important part of the village’s social fabric, the Roman Catholic church dedicated to Mother Mary, and known as ‘Periyanayagi Matha Aalayam’, had been abandoned as the structure became uninhabitable over time. The small church can accommodate up to 50 worshippers.

A sum of close to ₹8 lakh has been spent so far on the renovation. “We had approached the authorities in 2023 requesting for a renovation of the building. However, Tourism Board officials who assessed the heritage structure ruled out the possibility of repairing the church. So, we decided to raise funds from local families, and consulted a civil engineer to do the renovation. A major part of the civic works is complete; we hope to reopen the church by May,” Parish priest Fr. Amul William told The Hindu.