Thondi : A port with a past

For a slice of history, says SOMA BASU

PHOTO: SOMA BASU

PICTURESQUE SETTING The pier at Thondi

Beaches always beckon and so does anything `ancient.' This time a friend in the Police Department posted in Ramanathapuram district, recommends some neglected but beautiful places there.

"They are deserving RLT spots," he assures. So, I get into my car and head to Thondi, an ancient port city in Ramnad. The drive from Madurai takes a little over three hours. But be prepared for a stomach-churning stretch from Thiruvadanai to Thondi as there is no proper road and also leave your olfactory senses behind or else don't embark on this journey.

But if you are driven by an adventurous spirit, just hit the track. You just can't always have the best on every RLT trip, I remind myself as my eyes scan the setting on either side of the road. From Madurai to Thiruvadanai, the road is good and the drive, pretty smooth. Nature doesn't have much to offer during this season except for patches of tamarind arches on the highway. Paddy has been harvested and much of the landscape around is brown. But the worse is yet to begin when the vehicle suddenly slips with a thud from a tar track on to a muddy and pebbled tract.

Suddenly, there's activity all around. Bulldozers and road rollers, mounds of sand and beds of crushed stones line the narrow and kucha, almost unmotorable road. The car grudgingly makes its way through the brown haze raised by passing vehicles. Through the dusty veil, I spot a brightly painted temple gopuram, a moss layered school building, thatched huts and some dilapidated structures. The paint on a handful of signposts and milestones on the way has faded. The muddy road branches off from what was supposed to be the main road and curves down bringing into sight some hamlets and a church on the right.

On the left one can see the Bay of Bengal shimmering under the fiery sun. As I reach there post-noon, it's hot and what makes the initial moments worse is the smell of fish. The best option is to cover your nose and drive on. It is the first lap of about 750 m that stinks.

Unique experience

Drive along the coastline till the road reaches a dead end at the gate of the Thondi branch of the Karaikudi-based Alagappa University. Just before this beautiful campus by the seaside is the office of the Naval Detachment Unit. Opposite the naval base, a half-a-km long cemented pier takes you right into the sea. It is a unique experience to walk on it with a strong wind blowing on your face. But don't go too close to the edge as there is no safety railing to hold on to. It is a naked land jetty and used only for fishing. The water, however, is still. The Palk Strait at Thondi is supposed to be shallow and is considered much safer than other areas around the Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. Thondi could have qualified as an ideal place for swimming, surfing and sun bathing. But then due to lack of road and rail connectivity and inadequate hinterland development, the place has lost its importance and is used only for fishing now.

But its historical importance cannot be undermined. Thondi is recorded as a heritage place of the great Kings of the Cheras, the Cholas and the Pandyas, who all nurtured this port city. Even the British used the Thondi Port to import and export goods from Sri Lanka and Burma, among other countries. There have been demands to revive the port for the past several decades but only now under the Sethu Samudram Project implementation, some work has begun in laying a road to Thondi.

If the smell doesn't bother you much, then you can enjoy the serenity of the place. You see nothing but water here in three directions. In the foreground, it looks mossy green but follow the receding horizon and you find a lovely combination of blue and shining silver. The sea is gentle and fishermen's boats appear in the distance like tiny specks on the aqua canvas. If you turn your back to the sea, the fourth side reveals the secular nature of the place. The coastline is dotted with a church, a temple and a mosque.

Truly, Thondi hides a charming delight. If only the authorities take care to clean up the area, can it be developed into a more inviting destination.

How to get there

Thondi is 40 km from Ramanathapuram and 145 km from Madurai. While coming from Madurai, take the Sivagangai road and on to Kalaiyarkoil and Thiruvadanai before reaching Thondi.

Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/02/26/stories/2007022600150200.htm

Alagarkoil - Bison valley : Deep in the woods

For a quiet walk through thick forests, says SOMA BASU

PHOTO: SOMA BASU

ENVELOPED IN SILENCE At Azhagarmalai

To be honest, this was not meant to be an RLT.

It began with a visit to the much celebrated Vishnu temple, Alagarkovil, 22 km northeast of Madurai.But to my delight, the trip ended in a trek on a relatively lesser-known route in the forests of the Azhagar hills. That's how Azhagarmalai became an RLT.

Alargarkoil is situated at the foothills on the southern end of Azhagarmalai and around it are the ruins of an ancient fortified town.

From the temple, there is a narrow path uphill which takes you to another temple in the wilderness, an abode of Lord Subrahmanya. The four-km distance can also be covered by road and it ends in a park of medicinal plants.

The park is managed jointly by the Forest Department and Bangalore-based Foundation for Rehabilitation of Local Health Traditions. You need prior permission to look at in situ conservation plants.

To the right of the park, a flight of 70-odd steps takes you to Lord Muruga's shrine, also famous for a small spring called Noopura Gangai. The water is considered to be as holy as the Ganges. According to myth, Brahma poured water from his kamandalam on Vishnu's feet during his `trivikrama avataram.' A few drops fell off Vishnu's `silambu' (anklet) and flowed out as the Silambu river.

Another three miles uphill is a waterfall, which derives its name from the ornament and hence is called Noopura Gangai.

Though it is supposed to be a perennial waterfall, the spring at the temple below is dry now.

But devotees get to bathe in a restricted supply of this holy water, which reaches them through six taps installed in the spring.

Funny as it may seem or sound, nobody seems to mind, as a continuous stream of devotees undergoes the ritual under watchful eyes of temple guards and monkeys. Yes, monkeys. They are there everywhere and you have to tackle them before finding your way.

Bats everywhere

But before taking the steps to Noopura Gangai, look up at the sky and you can spot colonies of flying fox (the Indian fruit-eating bat) hanging upside down from the trees.

They can be seen on any fruit-bearing tree, resting, nesting or flying over it repeatedly. There are hundreds of them almost forming a dark cloud against the sunlight.

After paying obeisance to the Lord, we encountered a bemusing sight on the temple terrace. Scores of men, women and children — and not to forget our simian brothers — were having a picnic. But, what was disturbing, however, was the mess they created all around — polythene wrappers, plastic cups, empty water bottles and waste food strewn all over.

But if you overlook the foreground and look beyond, a lush landscape meets the eye.

Peeping over the wall, we spotted a muddy track cutting through the grass, shrubs, plants and trees. We decided to scale the wall and found ourselves inside a forest.

As we walked deeper into the forest, the path became prominent. Enveloped in silence, the only sound we could hear was the crunch of dried leaves under our shoes.

Suddenly, a team member hushed everybody up and asked us to listen to the chirping of a bird.

"That's a large green barbet," he whispered excitedly.

Pursuing ornithology as a hobby, he told us we were in the Silambar valley, which is free of biotic influence. "This place is hardly known, you will not see a soul here."

I learnt later that there are three routes from different valleys — Silambar, Periyaruvi and Bison — that all meet at the highest point in the area called Phalaianaiparai at a height of 880m. The trek from Silambar valley to this point through the Azhagar forest is the shortest at six km. Bison Valley, which has to be approached from the north-eastern side of Noopura Gangai, has a fair population of bison and is about eight km.

The longest trek is 12 km in the Periyaruvi valley. All the three paths merge at `End Point,' which is a plateau at the base of the peak.

The three routes are also partially motorable but to go deep inside the forest, the department's permission is required.

In our unplanned march though Silambar valley, we couldn't go too far either, given the restrictions.

But I learnt that the area has been identified for bird watching. The white browed bulbul, orioles, changeable hawk eagle, shama and barbet, besides the migrating birds during winter season, are sighted here regularly. Animal life is negligible.

With the sun setting, we too decided to return, especially since the possible presence of large snakes scared us.

We walked back in silence, through the jungle of banyan tree, the kiluvai tree, kunguliam and itchi maram. Perhaps it is a good way to round off a visit to the temple — a quiet walk through Nature at its pristine best.

How to reach

From Madurai, take the Alagarkoil Road.

The ascent to the plateau from Silambar valley starts at Natham Road. For Bison valley, take Alagarkoil-Melur Road and turn right from Kidaritatti village.

Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/07/08/stories/2006070800440200.htm

Pandikoil : Unique league of revered deities

The popular Pandimuneeswarar Temple’s history and origin remain a mystery

Photo: K. Ganesan

Source of solutions Yet to trace its roots Thousands of people visit this place. Still an eerie silence pervades the area. The only intruders are the buzzing houseflies that descend to taste the raw blood oozing from the sacrificial goats and roosters. In the competition between incense stick s and cheroot, the cheroot wins the battle hands down and sometimes the place is engulfed in its smoke.

Any you pass through the Ring Road, you are sure to encounter a strange smell that is a combination of meat, chicken, raw blood, flowers and cheroot, and women making wailing noises at this point.

All the above are indicators to the presence of Pandimuneeswarar Temple, popularly known as Pandikovil. It is a temple of a different kind encircled by paddy fields and wasteland.

On Sunday, Friday and Tuesday, devotees from different parts of the State, including towns and villages in Madurai, Tiruchi, Virudhunagar, Theni, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Chennai, throng the shrine to have ‘darshan’ of the presiding deity and his sub-deities and sacrifice fowls as a mark of fulfilment of their vows.

It’s history

With all its intense activities, the temple’s history and origin still remain a mystery. Nobody knows its exact origin.

P. Shivaji Poojari, managing trustee, claims that the statue was unearthed by his grandmother Valliammai, who came from Nerur near Karur in search of a livelihood. Lord Muneeswarar came in the dream of Valliammai and asked her to unearth and install the statue in the same place. She, with the help of residents of Managiri and nearby villagers, installed the statue.

Mr. Shivaji, who manages the temple in the third generation, says that the deity was earlier known as ’Jada Muneesarar,’ as per official records available at the Madurai Collectorate.

He claims that the idol is that Lord Siva in meditation, leaving his locks (jada) free. Hence, he is called Jada Muneesarar. But, later, when Pandian, a poojari of the temple of the Valliammal clan, performed pujas it became famous as Pandi Muneeswarar Temple.

Only sweet pongal

Though the temple has blood spattered floors and is filled with the smell of fresh blood, devotees perform pujas for Pandimuneeswarar, the presiding deity, only with sweet pongal, milk and rosewater. Sacrifices are given only for the sub-deities ‘Andisamy’ and ‘Samayamsamy.’ Ninety per cent of devotees come to the temple seeking the blessings of the Lord to have children or settle elusive marriages, Mr. Shivaji adds.

Buddha or Mahavir

On the contrary, the ‘Madurai District Archaeological Handbook,’ published by the Archaeological Survey of India, says that the idol is that of Buddha dating back to 1000 A.D. The handbook goes on the describe the statue in ‘arthapariyanga asana,’ with curled hair, elongated ear lobes and dress folding on his chest.

The statue sans ushnisha (flame of knowledge), a usual feature of Buddha, can still be ascertained as a Buddha statue with the body shape and sitting posture. Similar statues can be found in Ilayankudi, Vedaranyam and Dharmapuri, says an archaeological officer.

T. Lajapathi Roy, an advocate who is working on a book on Jainism, says that a Mahavir idol has been transformed into a local deity (Pandimuneeswarar), and the temple is thronged by people from all communities in huge numbers.

He says that a majority of non-orthodox Hindus worship Muniyandisamy or Ayyanar or Pandi Muneeswarar, who are popularly known as ’Kaval Deivangal.’

Possibly, in those days, people worshipped their elders and, as a mark of respect, offered sacrifices. Later, they mixed up traditional-indigenous faith and Jainism, especially during the Nayak period that introduced many changes in conventions and festivals, says Mr. Lajapathi Roy.

Whoever it may be, people dare not bother about its origin and history. They enjoy their stint at the temple hoping that their problems will be solved and needs addressed.

Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/03/01/stories/2008030150120300.htm

Thirupparankundram : Hallowed hollows

Jain Caves: a retreat from the world, says PRINCE FREDERICK

ON THE road to Madurai, a hill that is shaped like an amoeba comes into view. Its bald formlessness had always made me think of it as just another blob of earth. Only much later, when I visit this hill, which is located in Thirupparankundram near Madurai, do I realise that it is a place where archaeology, religion and tourism are melded in an interesting package.

Unlike other RLTs, where I invariably set out on my own, this time I travel as a part of the Madurai Taj Garden Retreat tour of places around the town. I am not the only journalist on this trip, but it throws up an RLT where I least expected to find one.

The hill is known by the hollow formations in it, three of them. Jain Caves offered Jain monks a retreat from the world. Legend has it that some of them would live in these hollows without food and water for months, or until they had crossed over into the other world. Even today, these rocks seem to exude a sense of quiet.

Interesting inscriptions

The three caves are part of many more that exist in this district — all situated close to Madurai town. Brahmi inscriptions suggest that they go back to the 2nd or 1st Century B.C. The first lies in the foothills, a neatly scooped out hollow that bears inscriptions on the rock face. Some of them refer to the customs prevalent during the times of the Pandya kings.

A flight of stone steps leads up to the next cave. As you enter this one, you find the hollow leading on to an open terrain. Here, what appears to be a tear in the rock has a body of water, green with algae and teeming with tilapia. The water runs many metres deep and the `tank' never goes dry. People of all religions come here to feed the fish and say their prayers.

According to legend, in order to be freed from a curse, two demons had to abduct 1,000 people who were lax in their religious duties and shut them up in prison. They managed 999 in no time, but could not get hold of the last. Frustrated, they took a short cut. They bound the Tamil poet Nakirar hand and foot and shut him up. The poet sought divine intervention and was released. Lord Muruga drove a wedge into the rock and out sprang holy water in which Nakirar bathed and washed off the defilement caused by the demons' touch. This is said to be the same water body that exists today.

Parallel to this cave, but on another projection of the hill, lies another, which houses a mosque. This place of worship was built 300 years ago in memory of Sikander Badshah, a Muslim holy man. As we depart and the hill appears on our rear view mirror, I tell myself that it symbolises religious pluralism.

Courtesy:http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/03/12/stories/2005031202120100.htm