People sip tea and donate; Thanal in Kozhikode raises ₹1.41 cr in a day

Edacheri: What began as a simple act of sharing tea turned into a massive outpouring of compassion for ‘Thanal,’ a center that cares for the destitute in Kozhikode’s Edacheri. Through a one-day gathering titled “Chaaya Thanal,” organised to support the daily functioning of the center, ₹1.41 crore was raised in a single day—exceeding all expectations.

The idea was simple: have a cup of tea and contribute whatever one can to Thanal. While the organisers expected around 5,000 people, nearly 18,000 turned up between 3 pm and 10 pm, from different parts of the region.

Thanal requires about ₹25 lakh every month to provide shelter and treatment for abandoned patients. Struggling to meet these recurring expenses and facing mounting debts, the organisation launched this tea-based fundraising initiative. On Tuesday alone, ₹57.42 lakh was received in cash, along with promises of ₹84 lakh—taking the total to ₹1.41 crore. For Thanal, which needs around ₹4 crore annually including debts, this has come as a huge relief.

In a touching gesture, four gold ornaments worn by women were donated, reflecting the depth of public support. The overwhelming turnout caused heavy traffic congestion in and around Edacheri, with roads leading to Thanal getting blocked for hours. Many people had to return and came back the next day to offer their contributions.

13,000 pazham pori served

Visitors were first served pazham pori (banana fritters) along with tea. A team led by Jameela Kader from Vadakara prepared the snacks. Initially, 150 kg of bananas were purchased, but as they quickly ran out, more had to be procured repeatedly. An estimated 13,000 pazham pori were made. Once they were finished, samosas, vadas, biscuits, cakes, and fruits were distributed. Eventually, even these ran out—but that didn’t matter to those who came solely to support Thanal.

Music added to the warmth

Music accompanied the event throughout. Premkumar Vadakara kept the atmosphere lively with songs during intervals and even gifted pens to those who requested them. Salvan Vadakara also entertained the visitors with his performances.