Panchalankurichi : Turn the pages of history

Memories of Veerapandiya Kattabomman remain alive, says SOMA BASU

HALL OF HISTORY At Panchalankurichi PHOTO: SOMA BASU

I am driving down the NH7 (Madurai-Tirunelveli Road). Not the right time to set out on a Road Less Travelled because though it is noon, the sky is overcast. Still, if you are the type who never felt history lessons were a drag, then Panchalankurichi is the place for you. From the highway, a right turn at Kayathar takes you to a nondescript village, but one of historic significance in Tirunelveli district. My car bumps across the track at the level crossing near the Kadambur railway station. The deserted platform presents an eerie picture.

Soon, I am on what I believe is the narrowest road I've ever traversed, a stretch riddled with potholes. The next 15 km turns out to be a bone-rattling ride. Past Ottudanapatti, I see barren fields. The area is littered with plastic waste. A small board announces — Pasuvandanani village. There are posters of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose everywhere. A chorus emanates from a nearby adult literacy class.

I stop at the gate of a monument, the ruins of a 17th Century fort said to have been built by Veerapandiya Kattabomman. Just as I step out of the car, the skies open. I hastily purchase a ticket and enter the gates. Legend has it that while hunting in the forests of Salikulam, Kattabomman saw an amazing spectacle of a hare chasing seven hounds! Believing that the land possessed the power to instil courage in people, Kattabomman, who became king at the age of 30, built a fort here 300 years ago and named it Panchalankurichi. It was from here that he raised his voice against the British in the 17th Century. Enter the memorial hall constructed by the State Government in 1974. The beautiful paintings on the walls tell inspiring tales of the heroic deeds of the Panchalankurichi chieftains. While the fort was razed to the ground by the British to teach Kattabomman a lesson, what is left of it is now under the care of the Archaeological Survey of India. Near it is located the Sri Devi Jakammal Temple, believed to be the family deity of Kattabomman. There is also a cemetery for British soldiers.

The ruined fort makes me travel back in time. I imagine how it must have once bustled with activity, uniformed soldiers marching up and down. What a battle must have raged from the ramparts which are now nothing but rubble!

There are days when the place gets noisy with busloads of school children arriving from neighbouring districts for a history class outdoors. The monument is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

It would be ideal to combine a trip to Panchalankurichi with a visit to Ottapidaram, 13 km away. It is the birthplace of another son of the soil, V. O. Chidambaram. Also, 24 km from Tirunelveli, on the NH7 Madurai Road near Kayathar, is the spot where Kattabomman was hanged from a tamarind tree in October 1799. A monument has been built in Kattabomman's memory by thespian Sivaji Ganesan. Further on the Thoothukudi Road, about 34 km away, is Ettaiyapuram, the birth place of Mahakavi Subramania Bharati. The poet's house was converted into a memorial - Bharathiar Mani Mandapam - in 1945. The tiny village came into prominence after Mahatma Gandhi inaugurated the mandapam.

All these places can be accessed either from the Kovilpatti-Tuticorin Road or the NH7 and can be covered in a day's trip.

Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/08/13/stories/2005081301040700.htm

Kazhugumalai : Treasure Trove

Kazhugumalai: a date with history, says SOMA BASU

THERE IS a place, other than Mahabalipuram, which boasts of a monolithic rock sculpture, but rarely visited. A place which once saw eagles visiting every day as in Tirukazhukunram near Chennai. It has all the ingredients to make an interesting RLT — rock-cut shrines, Jain sculptures, ancient inscriptions, ruins — a treasure trove of history.

Surprisingly, the 8th Century architectural marvels of Kazhugumalai (hill of eagles in Tamil) remain under lock and key. The State Archaeology Department has taken upon itself to guard the site against vandalism. A small village 56 km from Tirunelveli to the West of Kovilpatti, Kazhugumalai emerges in the middle of paddy fields and scattered thatched houses. I discover that what appears to be a hill is actually a twin hillock — Kazhugumalai and Araimalai. Tamil film hits blare out of the shops and houses dotting the foothills on the two sides. As I turn towards the third side, I find a medium-sized tank filled with rainwater. Women washing clothes, children swimming and splashing around joyfully, men scrubbing their cattle and vehicles... there is so much activity though it is an unusually hot morning.

Breathtaking view

In the harsh glare of the sun, it is difficult to trace the path, though I manage to spot a fence on the top. Two eager kids show me the way. I follow them up the small steps cut here and there in the rocks. At some places, it is like a stretching exercise with big rocks serving as steps but spaced wide apart. The rest of the climb is on a pebbled pathway through spiky and dry grass. Finally, I reach the top. The breathtaking view dispels my doubt whether the trip is worth the effort at all.

The fields below resemble an extended green carpet. The gusts of wind in my face are cool and soothing. The kids, who accompany me to the top, call Gangadhar, watchman-cum-guide of the Archaeology Department, who comes running to unlock the gate.

Religious significance

Though Jainism had spread throughout the Pandya kingdom, Kazhugumalai, I learn, was an important religious centre. The Jain ascetic, Gunasagara Bhattara, is said to have lived on this hilltop. A bas-relief belonging to this period provides information about the religion and its followers.

An inscription in vattezhuthu accompanies each sculpted image. Mahavira in sitting posture carved out of a single rock and a dhyana mandapam [a cave within a cave] are ample indication of the religious significance of Kazhugumalai. The keys are missing but Gangadhar assures me that the interior of the mandapam is cool "almost like an air-conditioned room." After a brief stroll around the hillock, it is time to visit the adjacent one, which I am told, has a rare example of Pandya architecture.

Called the Vettuvan Koil, it is sheer poetry in stone. The Sivan temple, carved out of a single rock and decorated with sculpted panels and pillars, is impressive. Though incomplete, the architecture of Vettuvan Koil is compared to that of the five rathas in Mamallapuram, where each cave is scooped out of a hillside. However, the Ganesha idol in the temple looks neglected and forlorn.

Gangadhar, while guiding me, removes the waste paper that is strewn all around. He produces a tattered register filled with names of visitors to the place till date. I find that most of the tourists are foreigners and college students.

Kazhugumalai makes an interesting day-out though it is not a stand-alone destination. It can best be combined with trips to the nearby Kattabomman Memorial and Sankarankoil. On my way back, I learn that the Thoothukudi administration, barely a fortnight ago, has sanctioned funds to develop the area with parks, lighting and drinking water facilities.

Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/10/16/stories/2004101601310100.htm