Heritage and History of Madurai [Archive]

Madurai gilli

December 11th, 2011, 10:46 AM

* Thirumalirunsolai
* Uthiyaanasylam
* Solaimalai
* Maalirunkundrum
* Irunkundrum
* Vanagiri
* Virushapaathiri

Some-more history of Azhagar-koil:

Alagar kovil (Alagar malai or hill) is situated at the north of Madurai (Tamilnadu,India), away from 20 k.m. The other names of this are 'Thirumalirunsolai, Uthiyaanasylam, Solaimalai, Maalirunkundrum, Irunkundrum, Vanagiri, Virushapaathiri' etc. It is 18 k.m long in east west direction and 320 meters of height, in dimension. Some small hills are diverted from here,going towards all directions. This hill is fully enriched with a lot of vegetation, herbs, fruits and springs etc. Here the residing deity is called as Alagar, Kallalagar and Sundaraja perumal . The origin of this isthalam (place) could not be judged clearly.

Moorthy, Isthalam and Theertham of this temple had been described in Varaaga puraanam, Pramaanda puraanam, Vaamana puraanam, and Angneya puraanam clearly. The compilation of all these at in one form named as Virushapathiri mahathmium found in Hindi language. Among the 108 Dhivyadeshams of lord Vishnu, the name 'Sundaraja perumal' has come in as common in the following three Isthalams, namely Anbil, Thirunaagai (Nagappattinam), and Koodal nagar (Madurai).

Alagar malai had been highlighted in the Vaalmigi's Raamaayanam, Veda Viyasar's Mahabharatham and Sugar's Maha Bharatham. Viyaasar quoted in His Mahabharatham, that Yuthistran (Tharuman) came here, when they had been experiencing the forest life for 12 years. Again in Sugar's Bhagavatham, Balaraman, the incarnation of lord Vishnu, had reached the Virushapathiri (Alagar malai), and had gone to Sethu (Rameshwaram), when on His pilgrimage.

In Silappathikaram (one of the five maha Kaapiams of Tamil language), also the glory of this hill had been highlighted, that one brahmanan (one who learn the veda and Upanishath etc.) had told Kovalan (hero of the kaapium),Kannagi (Heroin) and gownthiadigal (a jain guru), when approached Madurai for their survival, that they should visit "Thirumalirunkundrum", which is on the way to Madurai,and there they could capable of finding three holy Theerthaas namely, Siravanam, Bawahaaruni, and Istasiddhi, provided if they could fulfill some rituals there, which had been very difficult to follow.Otherwise, they simply worship the feet of the lord Thirumal (lord Vishnu) and could get the moksha definitely. But the sign of those three theerthas has not been here, only Nooburagangai or Silambaaru is the only theertham seen nowadays.It has been there under the shrine of Goddess "Sri Raakachi amman".

A lot of sages belonged to various religion like Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism had been there at the caves found in the hill.

The various era involved in the history of Alagar kovil

The Aalwars period

Aalwars are the 12 persons of fierce disciples of lord Vishnu, belonged to 8 th century. Among them, some body belonged to the 5 th century. On those days, they praised this hill and it's wealth, and described this as the "South Thirupathi". In their hymns called "Paasurams", they had praised the isthalam, Moorthy and the Theertham. They had done "Mangalasaasanam" on this Isthalam. Out of this 12 Aalwars, six of them namely, Periyaalwar, Aandal, Thirumangaiyaalwar, Bootathaalwar, Paeyaalwar, nammaalwar had praised the hill and the lord Alagar in their 128 paasurams. All these paasuramshave been compiled and called in the name of " Naalaayira thivya prapantham ", which has been called as the Veda of the vaishnavites.

Periyaalwar and Aandal

Aandal is the incarnation of the goddess Sri "Maha lakshmi", the consort of lord Vishnu, who had been the one of the 12 Aalwars. She wanted to mary lord Sri Renga (lord Vishnu), with out knowing the birth secret of Her incarnation. She had been also called as the other name "Soodi kodutha sudarkodi", that every day, She had made the garland for the lord Vishnu and had garlanded Him with the flowers and songs in the name of paasurams. She and Her father Periyaalwar (also one of the 12 Aalwars) often visited Alagar kovil and had sung paasurams about the hill and Alagar. Atlast She got married with Alagar in the form of lord sri Renganatha.

Historical period

Apart from puraana times, coming into the historical era, when the origin of pandyan kingdom there had been the Alagar kovil and the Alagapuri also there .This temple had been situated within the castle wall of Alagapuri. Both the temple and the Alagapuri were once considered as the same in social & religious life. At first both of these were said to be constructed by the deity of justice and the Viswakarmaa, the celestial architect of heaven, then were renovated by the pandyan king "Malaithuvaja pandyan", who was the son of the founder of the pandyan kingdom, Kulasekara pandyan.

In the Periyaalwar puraanam, when quoting about the temple, there said to be a big wall around the temple, and nowadays, we can see the destructed parts of the remaining big wall here ans there.The circumference of the wall was said to be more than 1.5 k.m , and had been constructed by the stones and bricks. Apart from the pandyan kings, the other kings of cholas, Sri lanka's, Vaanar's, hoisaalar's and the vijanagara's Ambassadors, who were said to be Naayaks were also engaged themselves in the religious services. Atlast the patronage was handed over to the east Indian company of the British government on 1785.

The pandyan kings were having their flags embedded with the monogram of Fish, which would have been the first incarnation of lord Vishnu, the "Machha Avataar", since they were the followersof the vaishnavam.

Vijayanagara kingdom

Pandyan king Jadaavarman Sundarapandiyan (1251 - 1270) had done a lot of religious services to Alagar kovil, like one of them was the golden layer work of the tower of the temple. After the pandyan kingdom, the kings of vijayanagara had the direct supervision over the pandyan kingdom,allowing the pandya kings as only their representatives. One of the kings in the line, named "Thirumaalirunsolai nindran magapali vaanaathiraayan urangaa villithaasan", which had been in scripted on those time. From the name itself, we can able to understand that he had immense devotion towards the lord Alagar perumaan. He had done a lot to the welfare of this temple by registering the lands and assets to the temple. He also made this as his capital and fort. His successors are the persons who had built the big towers of goddess Sri Meenakshi amman, which are seen nowadays.

In 1565, the last king of vijayanagar had been defeated by the Mohammedans, in the war of "Thalaikottai", the ambassadors of the pandyan kingdom became liberated and declared as they were the kings of those regions. Among the Vijayanagara's kings, the very noted person was "Krishna devaraya", who had immense devotion towards Alagar and the temple. He, then gave two villages called "Samaya nallur" and "Sattha mangalam" to the temple. This news had been in scripted in a stone, near the tower of the lord "Pathinetaamm padi Karuppu".From the revenue collected from those two villages, during the festivals on the Tamil month of Aadi, some 'Thaanams" (free meals and gift etc.) were given to the public.

The king Krishna devaraya with his warriors, had come to Alagar kovil and had been halted for three days. The last ambassador of the vijayanagar, Viswanatha nayak had also done a lot of well fares to this temple, which had been in-scripted,near the western side of the tower of "Pathinettaampadi karuppu". Afetr his reign only, the Naayak's ruling on Madurai, individually had began.

During the reign of Thirumalai nayak (1623 - 1659), Madurai had been on it's peak of prosperity. He had done a lot of religious services to the Alagar kovil, like the construction and renovation of yaaga salai, palliyarai, thantha vimaanam, thantha pallakku, abisheka mantapam etc. He also built a palace in Thirmalirunsolai (Alagar kovil).

The power of ruling Madurai had been changed over to "Aarkattu Nawaab" from the last naayak's queen , called Meenakshi ammal, on 1736.That time all the temples in Madurai had been at deep trouble. In 1757, the Mohammedan king 'Hither ali' had conquered Madurai, and robbed the wealth, surrounding Madurai and destroyed the sculptures in the marriage hall of the temple. He also destroyed the city Alagapuri and the surrounding walls of Alagar kovil. Now we can see the remaining destructed parts of the wall, which had been destroyed by Hytherali, near the temple premises.He also broke down the palace and it's surroundings inside the castle.

A great Mohammedan warrior called Yusuf khan defeated Hitherali, and sent him back to Dindigul on 1758, and also on the same year, he returned back the robbed wealth of Hytherali, to the alagar kovil temple. Due to conspiracy, Yusuf khan had been killed and again chaos had been there at Madurai. atlast, on 1785, Madurai had been handed over to the east Indian company of British kingdom.

British reign in Madurai - In 1801, the first British collector,Hardis ,had taken as the in charge of the Alagar kovil temple's trust. He however rectified the management of the temple premises. The reforms he had done with the the temple's management had been called as the authentic- belongings of the temple. Then, on 1817, the management had been handed over to the Board of revenue and at last on 1863, the "committee for governing the religious activities" had taken the in charge of this temple. This committee had done a blunder mistake of registering the rights of having the power of attorney not to the temple, instead it registered it to the name of the persons who managed the temple. Due to this activities, again there were confusion on maintaining the temple management. Some other people,had been enjoying the benefits ans a lot of assets had been lost to the temple. The daily routine works of the temple had met out trouble due to the scarcity of the funds.Now, the only asset to the temple is the land surrounding the temple only. Finally, on 1929, a new department namely, "Hindu Religious and endowment board" had taken in charge of the ancient temples. Now a lot of temples are under the control of this board, and been maintained properly.

Periyaalwar and Thirumalirunsolai

He described the beauty of this hill by comparing it with the north Vengadam as like it, here also there were seven hills as follows:-

1) Alangaaran malai (here malai means hill)

2) Kula malai

3) Kola malai

4) Kulir maamalai

5) kottra malai

6) Nila malai

7)Neenda malai

In these seven hills, there were rivers, springs and fountains, which were described by Periyaalwar in his paarurams.

Arangan Vs Alagar

When Sri Rangam ( one of the 108 Divya Dhesams of lord Vishnu, which is in Trichy, in Tamilnadu) had been looted by the Mohammedans, in order to save the sculpture of the Lord Vishnu, a fierce devotee, called Pillai Logaachariyaar had taken the sculpture in a "Pallaakku" (in which one can sit and travel, which is carried on the shoulders of the carrying people) and traveled to a safe place towards the south direction. On their way of traveling, Pillai Logaachariyaar had died at the place called Jodishkudi. His followers, with out gave up this effort, taken the idol safely to Thirmalirunsolai (Alagar kovil) and had dug a well and named it as Alagiya Manavaalan Thirukinaru, and kept the idol safely in the well and had done all poojaas to the well. Thus for more than a year, Thiru Arangan (idol of lord Vishnu) had stayed in Alagar malai. Here after the idol of Thiru Arangan had been taken to some other places in Kerela (then called as Malayaala desham), and at last after passing 60 years, on 1370, the idol had come back to Sri Rangam safely.

All these news have been collected and compiled from the book called "Etheenthra pranavap prabhavam"done by Pillai logamzeeyar.

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Madurai gilli

December 11th, 2011, 10:50 AM

Pathinetampadi Karuppa samy( '18-steps' - Karuppa Samy)

When we enter into the enterance,first we have to pray the "protection deity of the Alagar malai",called pathinetaampadi Karuppa Samy. The Legend has it that, Lord Rama had sent Sita to the forest when she was pregnant and lived in Saint Valmiki's Ashram. While in the Ashram, She brought a male heir of Rama to the world.

One day when she was going out for some chores of the Ashram, she asked the Saint to take care of her child in the cradle. The Saint was watching the child and meanwhile went into a deep meditation. When Sita returned, she found that the Saint was in meditation and didn't want to disturb him to tell him that she was taking her child.

When the Saint was out of the meditation, he found the child missing. So he put some holy grass (Dherbai) in the cradle and with his mantra he made that as a child. Later when he found that Sita was having her real child, he was so confused and asked Sita to treat the new baby also as her own child.

When Sita was returning to Rama, he was expecting only one male heir. But to his astonishment, he found two boys (Lavan and Kushan) approaching him. Again to test the purity of the boys, he set a fire and asked the boys to cross the fire to reach him. He told that whoever was his real heir would cross the fire unscathed. Unknowingly the boy brought up by the Saint, stuck in the middle of the fire and burnt his body becoming very dark.

Finally, Rama got to know what had happened in the forest to have two boys instead of one. Then he blessed the burnt boy to become his escort god (Protection God) and called him “Karuppannan” which became Karuppa Sami.

He wields an "Aruval" which is a very significant weapon in Tamil Nadu and is considered, in itself, as a symbol of Karuppanar himself. Some Aruvals may reach the height of even 5 feet, especially the ones in Thiruppaachhi. The Most Important musical Instrument Which like by God karuppanan are Tappu,Tharai,kombu Tharai,Otha thamukku,Pambai,Udukkai and Urumee.

Another legend has it that,The king of Malabar,was scheming to get the utsavar idol of Azhagar into the Malabar coast and let no thought go wasted.The minister for treasury suggested that the best way to get the idol would be with stealth and magic.

Two days later, 18 people, learned in all sorts of magic, tantra, religious rights and warfare, secretly left for the capital of the Pandia Empire, Madurai. The were accompanied in spirit by the Guardian Deity of Malabar, Malayala Karuppu. Tackling their way through the western and eastern ghats, they ended up at the outskirts of Madurai. Before them, the four towers of Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple thrust high into the skies, twinkling with lights. Ignoring this splendid sight, they turned their heads left. The lonely but equally impressive tower of Azhagar kovil, shone bright in the night lamps.

They had arrived!!!

The arthajama pooja was just over in the temple, and the temple priests were locking up the individual shrines, when it happened. Eighteen large men attacked the temple, with their magic and might. The priests were however, fully equipped for such an attack. Afterall, the presence of a solid gold idol did not come without its share of dangers. They invoked the kshetra palakar for his help and chanting the name of the lord, they went to defend the temple. Within no time, the eighteen attackers lay dead on the ground. The priests buried them just outside the main door, as a symbol of their victory.

It was then that they heard a rustle, like air moving in water. And before them materialised a mighty figure. Dressed as a warrior, complete with a long-sword and matted locks, pitch black in colour, stood Malayala Karuppu. “Oh priests of the temple of Azhagar!!! You have shown immense loyalty and bravery in defending this temple. I am impressed. As a gift to your loyalty and as a penalty for aiding a thieving mission, I will guard this temple till the end of times. I will assure that robbery and other immoralities do not take place in the temple and in the surrounding villages. I will guard the temple, over these very eighteen bodies. In times of trouble, I will come in aid”. Having said this, he suffused into the temple doors, making them glow bright for a moment, before they returned to normal. Malayala Karuppar had taken his place and since he guards over the eighteen bodies of the would be thieves, he is called Pathinettampadi Karuppar and is the guardian deity of Azhagar Malai.

The main doors of the Karuppar temple remain closed most of the year. It is believed that Karuppar resides within them looking over the kshetra and the neighbouring areas. During this time, people worship the door itself as the guardian deity. They smear sandal paste over the doors to reduce the heat of Karuppar’s Ugram and make offerings of long forged swords. Some of the swords are double a man’s height and offer a very frightening sight. The doors also act as the seat of the local Panchayat. People who utter lies in the vicinity of the doors have their lives destroyed by the guradian god’s wrath. Villagers wanting to resolve criminal and civil issues, make the accused promise in front of the doors, the belief being that if he did do wrong and refuses it in front of the door, then Karuppar would give him his rightful judgement. A nominal fee of Rs 6 is charged for any such case brought to the temple doors.

The door is, however, kept open once a year during the Brahmotsava. A strange thing happens that day. The jungles surrounding the temple, which are usually alive and vibrant with the calls of birds, go absolutely silent. Not a single bird is found in the vicinity on that day, and the temperature in the region increases by several degrees above the average. People believe that this is a manifestation of the god and his vented ugram. Special poojas are offered to the open doors before thay are closed again at night, never to open for another 365 days.

Karuppar also takes part in the day to day running of the temple. Every morning, the priest who brings water for Azhagar’s abhisheka has to pause before the doors and promise that the water was indeed brought from the Noopura Gangai and not from anywhere else. At the end of the day, the accounts of the daily activities are laid before him and finally he is also entrusted with the keys of the temple treasury at night. He is also invoked for the protection of the lord and his retinue when Azhagar embarks on his 10 day long trip to Madurai, in the month of Chithirai every year.

And that brings us to the grandest story ever of the Azhagar Temple. One that is enacted every year, to this very day.

Madurai gilli

December 11th, 2011, 11:05 AM

Main Deity - Lord Sundara Raja Perumal

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The main deity of Alagar malai,"The Sundara Raja Perumal".The newly constructed temple has Lord Vinayaga at the entrance while Lord Sundararaja Perumal (Kallazhagar) stands with his consorts – Sri Devi and Boo Devi. Lord Karudalwar stands at the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum facing the deities.The architecture of the Azhagar temple corresponds to any of those of south Indian temples, with large gopurams and pillared mandapams.The style of the buildings denote, 3rd or early 4th Century construction.

Some research scholars opine that this was earlier a Jain temple, (the somaskanda vimanam for instance) but which however was later converted into a Vishnu temple. It is true that during archeological excavations, many Jain caves and inscriptions were found in the same hill around this temple. However, the famous Vaishnava works in Tamil, belonging to the early 4th to 6th Centuries point that to this temple as a Vishnu temple. The famous Silapadikaram too, that belongs to the 3rd Century AD, points out to this temple as a Vishnu temple.

The Azhagar Hills has a tropical forest cover which extend from Azhagar Kovil in the south to Natham in the north. The Tamil Nadu state forest department has been maintaining a herbal garden on the hills.The entrance to the garden is restricted to siddha research scholars. The garden is irrigated by a natural spring locally known as the devi theertham.

Guardian of Azhagar Malai - 18-steps Karuppanasamy

After finishing the prayers in the temple,be prepare to climb by walk or in the vehicle to the top of the hill,there we have the dharsan(worship) of Lord Muruga of Palamuthircholai and Goddess sri Raakachi Amman. To reach the top of the hill,the temple's van has been arranged with nominal charges.Now we are going to see the two important Shrines of Alagar malai.

Palamuthircholai
Raakachi Amman Theertha thotti of Noobura Gangai (Holy spring 'Noobura Gangai).

Lord Vinayagar under the "Naaval tree" where lord Muruga asked the Tamil poetess Avaiyaar whether She wanted the "Sutta palam" or the "Sudhatha palam"

We should first worship the Lord Vinayaga, sitting under the Naaval fruit tree, since He is the "Aathimoola porul" .

Palamuthircholai - The sixth Abode of Lord Muruga.

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Image source : Flickr.com

Palamuthircholai is situated 19 kilometres from the temple town of Madurai. The place is full of natural beauty and sylvan surroundings. This hill is also known as Vrishabhadri or Idabagiri. At the foot of the hill is situated Azhakar Kovil, which is one among the 108 divyadesams sanctified by the hymns of Azhwars sung in praise of the Vishnu enshrined in this temple. Atop the hill Lord Muruga stands majestically in the temple as the Lord of the Hills popularly known as Kurinji Nilakkizhavan in Tamil. The temple of Pazhamutircolai can be reached by a motorable road leading to the hill.

Pazhamuthircholai is mentioned as the sixth of Lord Murugan's Aru Patai Veedukal, the six holiest Murugan shrines described by sangam poet Nakkirar in his poem Tirumurukarruppadai. Regarding the identity of the sixth major site, there is no consensus among scholars and many local temples are ascribed the distinction. Most scholars, priests and devotees identify Palamuthircholai with the shrine of Palamuthircholai, twelve miles north of Madurai in the Alagar Hills, above the Alagarcoil Vishnu temple. While this temple is not as large or bustling as the other five recognized shrines, it is just as incredible to visit.

This shrine is located on the northern outskirts of Madurai in a pleasant wooded hill not far from Alagar Visnu Kovil, a fortified temple complex revered as one of the 108 abodes of Vishnu glorified by the hymns of the Alwars. At the top of the hill, is Noopura Ganga, a perennial waterfall with a temple dedicated to Raakachi Amman. The Nupura Ganga atop the hill is said to originated from the anklet of Tirumal or Visnu and hence the name of the spring. It is said that sitting in the madavi mandapa near the spring Ilangovadigal wrote one of the five mahakavyas in Tamil, viz., Silappatikaram. Even today the place is very fertile with many trees and different flora and fauna, a standing testimony to the vivid description of the place's natural beauty as found in Tirumurugattruppadai of Nakkeerar.

Though the sthala is of ancient origin, the temple as in existence today was constructed only recently. " Vel" has been worshipped as the moolavar or main deity. The idol of Lord Muruga in a standing posture has a single face and four hands with Valli and Teyvayanai on both sides. The Vel made up of stone is of special significance and is worshipped with a great veneration by devotees.

Goddess Sri Raakachi Amman

When the Lord Vishnu took the incarnation as thiru Vikrama avathaaram, HE measured the boologam (earth) with one feet and the second feet was placed on vinnulaham (galaxy) and such holy feet proceeded and entered beyond the satya logam (one part of Galaxy) that Lord brahma is governing. Lord Brahma performed abishekam (pouring on) with his kamandala jalam (water) for this holy feet. The theerththam or water that fell off from the abishekam became several folded and descended as several holy rivers in parts of boologam (earth) of which the main and a very special one such is river ganges. The water that washed the holy and golden silambu (a type of anklet) of the Lord dropped at this place in Alagar malai area and became the "silambaaru" (silambu river). This silambaru is also known as "noobura gangai". The Thirumanchanam (pouring of water on the Deity) for the ursavar of this Kshethram (holy place) is performed using only the theerththam from this silambaaru in a tradition that goes back several centuries. It is noted that when such thirumanchanam was performed using the theerththam from other sources than this silambaaru, the ursavar idol used to get darkened. Hence it is a practice even today that people will travel 2 miles around the foot hills to get this punniya (holy) theerththam from silambaaru to perform the thirumanchanam.

Upon which the Noobura Gangai Theertham,Goddess Sri Raakachi Amman Shrine is there. She is pouring Her blessings on the devotees,in the form of water.After taking the holy bath,we are preparing to get down by the staircases and come again to Palamuthicholai,from there only, we can get down to the foot of the hill by the temple's vans or other private vehicles,if we arranged earlier.

Source : Rackachi hub pages

madurakarenda

December 11th, 2011, 04:37 PM

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josephantony

December 11th, 2011, 04:42 PM

^^^^

Did Everyone see the picture on the top right corner?

did they stole from AAM?

madurakarenda

December 11th, 2011, 04:46 PM

Did Everyone see the picture on the top right corner?

did they stole from AAM?

Alex, they don't have the need to steal it yaar :lol: . It is already available in facebook and all, i saw the same pic in facebook many a times.

Madurai gilli

December 13th, 2011, 05:46 AM

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Image courtesy : Picasa web

The Subramaniam temple at Tirupparunkunram situated six miles south of Madurai is an ancient shrine dating back to the 2nd century BC. According to legend it was here that Lord Muruga wed Teyvayanai, daughter of Indra, after his victory over Soorapadman and the asuras. The temple built on the northern side of the hill at an elevation of about 300 feet from the foot of the hill has a 150 foot tall gopuram of seven tiers over its entrance. The main sanctum carved into the rock enshrines a well chiselled form of the Lord. Also hollowed within the rock are many mandapams with carved pillars, platforms, and other shrines with decorative relief and carvings on all surfaces. All abishekams are performed to the Vel in the main sanctum. At the summit of the hill is a shrine dedicated to Kasi Visvanathar, beside which is a statue of the poet Nakeerar in an attitude of great reverence.

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Madurai gilli

December 13th, 2011, 05:47 AM

Madurai gilli

December 13th, 2011, 05:53 AM

The Thiruparankundram Dargah is located at the top of the Thirupparamkundram hill. It is a famous Islamic dargah (shrine), where the grave of an Islamic saint Hazrat Sultan Sikandhar Badushah shaheed Radiyallah Ta'al anhu is located. It can be seen from any part of the Madurai city.

History of Hazrat Sulthan Sikandhar Badhusha Shaheed Razi

Sikandhar Badusha, who was the governor of Jeddah came along with Hazrat Sulthan Syed Ibrahim Shaheed Badushah who came to Tamil Nadu in particular Ervadi from Madinah during the late 12th century.[1]
[edit]Sikandhar Badhusha's rule in Madurai
Badusha Sulthan Syed Ibrahim shaheed LABSWH of Erwadi won the Madurai province against the king thiru Pandiyan who refused to embrace Islam and made Hazrat Sulthan Iskandhar Badusha as the emperor of Madurai.The rule of Hazrat Sulthan Sikandar badusha was peaceful and people were happy with the way Hazrat ruled in the basics of sharia. King Tiru pandiyan who was defeated, went to Tirupati, met all his friends and briefed about the invasion of the arabs. They helped him with formation of large troop.

War after Tirupandiyan's return

After forming a big and healthy troop to face the Arabs, King Vira(Thirup)Pandiyan started towards madurai. The emperor of madurai Hazrat Sulthan Sikandhar Badhusha, who was unaware about this secret turn around of Veerapandiyan, concentrated in flourishing Islam and in the welfare of the people rather than strengthening the army. Tiruppandiyan who came with a strong army fought with Hazrath Sulthan Sikandhar Badhusha Razi vigorously. Thousands of soldiers were killed both the sides and blood rivers flew in madurai. The poet of sangam era describes as the biggest ever war held in the Pandiya kingdom. The Arabs were in need of more troops to face the Pandiyas. Hazrat Sulthan Sikandhar Badhusha sent 9 of his soldiers to inform Hazrat Sulthan Syed Ibrahim Shaheed the emperor of Bouthiramanikkapattinam (now Erwadi) to inform about the war and the need of more troops. Afraid of more soldiers arriving from Ervadi, king Vira(Thiru)pandiyan sent a large number of his soldiers to stop the 9 Arabian soldiers who were travelling towards Erwadi. Hazrat Syed Salaar Sha Shaheed razi was martyred at Palli chandai near Keeladi Silaiman and Hazrat Syed Ibrahim Shaheed Razi at Karseri near Sakkimangalam. The remaining 7 soldiers fought bravely and continued their journey towards ervadi. Again a large group of Pandiyan soldiers followed them up and a rigorous war held at Manamadurai in which five of the Arabian soldiers called as Khamsatu (Five) Shuhadaas (Anjanamaar - Paanch Peer) were martyred. The remaining two soldiers travelled hard to convey the message to the Emperor of Erwadi. Hazrat Umar Khattab Shaheed Razi was martyred at Kilavaneri near Meesal. The only soldier who was alive was injured brutally by the Pandiyas. But somehow He managed to reach Bouthiramanikkapattanam and conveyed the message of Thiuppandiyan's invasion back to Madurai. Hazrat Sulthan Syed Ibrahim Badusha was saddened by this and sent a large troop towards madurai. Before the troop could reach madurai, the tough war at madurai came to end and virapandiyan captured the throne back.

Martyrdom at Thiruparankundram hills

Hazrath Sulthan Sikkandhar Badhusha Shaheed rested at Thiruparankundram caves for prayers and peace. Even after capturing the throne, king Thiruppandiyan was afraid of Hazrat Sulthan Sikandhar Badusha and the arabian forces surging back. So he was in search of Hazrat Sulthan Sikandhar badhusha shaheed. Thousands of soldiers were sent in search, and finally they could see a rock flying up and settling down regularly in the Thirupparagundram hill and when they followed that, they saw an arabian horse at the top of the hill which they confirmed to be of Hazrat Sulthan Sikandhar badhusha. A few soldiers reached the cave where they found the rock to fly up while Hazrat Sultan Sikandhar badhusha stood for prayers and settle down when He was prostrating. One of the mal'oon from the soldiers of pandiya martyred Hazrat Sulathan Sikandhar Badhusha Shaheed Raziyallah ta'ala anhu during His prostration in prayers while He was keen in praying Allah the Emperor of Emperors.

Everlasting Miracles

Immediately the Pandiya soldier[citation needed] turned blind. Realising this to be the Miracle (Karamat) of Hazrat Sulthan Sikandhar badhusha radiyallahu anhu, he begged and lamented for forgiveness and they intended to do funeral. Accepting their forgiveness Hazrat Mustajab Ad Dua Sikandhar Badhusha prayed and gave back his vision. As intended, they did the funeral of Holy Jasada Mubarak at the top of the hill as per Islamic regulations. A big rock flew and covered the Qabr of Hazrat Sulthan Iskandhar badusha. There are other millions of miracles Karaamaat of Hazrat Sulthan Sikandhar badhusha radiyallahu anhu happening day to day in the Dargha and other the locations.
[edit]Thiruparankundram Dargah-A site of Religious Harmony today
Irrespective of religion, people from all parts of Tamil Nadu and from Kerala visit this durgah. People who visit the Ervadi Durgah in Ramanathapuram district are supposed to visit this durgah. Many poems are written in praise of Hazrat Sultan Sikandhar Badhusha, by Syed Abdussalam Ibrahim Saalim Madurai Maqbara Hazrat,the third in the list of Madurai Hazrats and his Matrnal grandson Syed Abdus Salaam Ibrahim Saahib Hazrat. It is seen that people who come here with a wish see it answered in a very short time, and so He is called Mustajab ad Du'aa Sikandhar Badhushah. Mustajab Ad Du'aa in Arabic translates as, A saint whose Prayers are immediately answered by Allah.

Urus Santhanakoodu Festival
The Anniversary Urs festival of Hazrat Sulthan Sikandar Badusha Shaheed is commomerated on the 17th night of the Islamic Month of Rajab every Hijri year. Thousands of people visit the dargah at the hill top on this day. Lot of arrangements are made by the Dargah committee and the local Police for the welfare of the pilgrims.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d8/Tiruparankundram_dargah.jpg

Madurai gilli

December 21st, 2011, 01:03 PM

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8779/mahal1.jpg

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/951/mahal2.jpg

Source : http://collections.vam.ac.uk via AAM.

Madurai gilli

December 21st, 2011, 01:05 PM

http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/8415/mahal3.jpg

http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/2306/mahal4.jpg

Source : http://collections.vam.ac.uk via AAM.

Madurai gilli

December 21st, 2011, 01:12 PM

Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace is a spectacle of Indo-Western palatial brilliance in Madurai. Built by King Thirumalai Nayak (or Nayakkar) in circa 1636, Thirumalai Nayak Mahal covers a large expanse of land in the city which is 2.5 km from the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple.

Thirumalai Nayak Palace History:

The palace was built by Thirumalai Naicker, the greatest of Nayakkar kings of Madurai. The Nayaks ruled Madurai from 1545 till 1740, after the Pandya kings. History of Madurai reveals that they were originally governors of the Vijayanagar Empire (based in Karnataka). As the empire broke up and declined, the Nayaks gained control over their governing regions and became rulers of the cities they controlled.

Thirumalai Nayak constructed this palace in 1636 with the help of an Italian architect who visited Madurai around that time. As the abode of the king, the palace participated in activities in and around Madurai. The king and the Nayak Prime Minister Arya Natha Mudaliyar was instrumental in restoration of other architectural monuments in the city like the Meenakshi Amman Temple, the Thirupparamkundram Temple and the Mariamman Teppakulam (water tank). The palace was actively involved in the Scepter festival, Navarathri, Chithirai festival, Masi festival, Float festival and Panguni Peruvila.

Thirumalai Nayak Palace Architecture:

The palace is the place where Thirumalai Naicker lived and held his court. The palace complex area was originally four times bigger than it is now, consisting of two portions – Swarga vilasa and Ranga vilasa. There were also other portions like the palace shrine, harem, theater, royal band stand, armory and other structures which were used to accommodate palanquins, royal chariots, relatives, servants, guests and other regal paraphernalia.

http://www.madurainow.com/http://madurainow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/IMG_1726-1024x768.jpg

Palace Design:

Thirumalai Nayak Palace has a minimalistic and rather-bland exterior. But on the interior, its grandeur is unparalleled and extraordinary that many of its contemporaries in India. The palace is a blend of Italian, Islamic, European and Dravidian style of architecture. While the domes and arches signify the Islamic touch, the huge and tall white columns speak for the Italian style. The Dravidian style is visible in the patterns on the walls, the ceiling, the windows and the arch ways of the palace.

Palace Layout:

On entering the Thirumalai Nayak Palace, one comes across a large central courtyard measuring 3,900 sq.m. This expansive and open courtyard area is flanked by huge white circular pillars on all four sides. The Courtyard and the Dance Hall are the major attractions of the palace. The Swarga Vilasa or celestial pavilion was used as the throne room (arcaded by an octagon dome 60-70 feet high) while the Dance Hall was used for dance, music and other entertainment activities by the royalty.

Thirumalai Nayak Palace specialties:

Thirumalai Nayak Mahal, managed by the Archaeological Department of India, was declared a National Monument after the Indian independence. The palace has an archaeological museum which houses artifacts, idols, pottery, pillar-stones, scripts and paintings unearthed from various places in South India, right from the 102 A.D. Restored in 1858 by Lord Napier (the then Governor of Madras), Thirumalai Naicker Palace is open from 9 AM to 5 PM for visitors.

Sound and Light Show:

Thirumalai Nayak Palace is a feast to the eyes in the evening. The Indian cultural department conducts the famous Sound and Light Show at the palace premises daily. The show, an amazing spectacle of sound and light, narrates in a subtle and interesting way the lifetimes of King Thirumalai. Myriad hues of light plays truant with the palace walls transforming the dark courtyard and surrounding area into a real vista of the Thirumalai Nayak’s Madurai. The show is an ode to King Thirumalai and his glory. It presents anecdotes from his life – his victories, his enemies, his daily routine, his passion for arts and his vision for the city – in dramatic and regal splendor. The palace turns into a symphony of sound and light at night time, with every pillar becoming an eloquent story teller and every cornerstone narrating the glory of the past.

The Sound and Light show takes place every day from 6.30 PM (IST). The English show happens at 6.30 PM while the Tamil (local language) show is scheduled at 8 PM. The duration of each show is half an hour.

Source : Madurainow

Madurai gilli

December 21st, 2011, 09:08 PM

The Kannadigas find it easy to merge with the mainstream here than their distant motherland, writes S.ABRAHAM MILLS

Think Karnataka and the first thing that comes to mind is the chain of Udupi hotels and restaurants identified by their simple vegetarian fare with a hint of sweetness in everything they prepare (there is a dash of jaggery in all dishes, except rasam ).

Madurai had quite a few Udupi hotels run by the hotelier-community, who migrated in the 1940s from undivided South Kanara district in Karnataka.

According to N. Ramakrishna Rao, whose father R. Narasimha Rao, started the Sri Jaya Vilas Coffee Hotel in 1942 on Chinnakadai Street, though there were many Udupi hotels in Madurai, the Udupi Boarding & Lodging on West Masi Street was the biggest till it closed shop in the 80s.

“Till Pandyan Hotel came up, all the visiting VIPs – from MGR and Sivaji to Kamaraj — used to stay at this hotel, started in 1939 and closed in 1975.” Other popular Udupi hotels were ‘Central’ Udupi (1932-67)) and ‘Chinthamani’ Udupi (1929-73), denoting the cinema halls adjacent to them, and Dhanalakshmi Hotel (1947-91) on Kamarajar Salai.

The Chinnakadai hotel is the only relic of a glorious past.

The city is home to about 250 families from Karnataka, excluding a 10,000-strong Kannada speaking Devangar Chettiars from the Hampi region. While all of them speak Kannada, their mother tongue differs.

While majority speak Tulu (Aishwarya Rai and Shilpa Shetty’s mother tongue), some speak Konkani.

V. Mohan of Thiagarajar College of Engineering opines that initially Harvey Mill (Madura Coats), TVS group of companies etc., attracted the Kannadigas to Madurai. Next came the hoteliers followed by bank employees since major banks such as Canara, Vijaya, Syndicate, Corporation and Karnataka banks were started by Mangaloreans (Konkani-speaking Gouda Saraswaths) only. Later on, professionals such as doctors and engineers came and settled down in Madurai.

N. Srikumar of K. Pudur says, “ Despite Madurai becoming our natural home, our marriages are conducted in our native place to make it convenient for our relatives there to attend the ceremony. Also, temples of our family deities are there.”

In order to keep the bond with their motherland strong, the kannadigas get together for Ugadi, Vishu and other festivals under the Karnataka Sangha-Madurai banner. Some times they bring the ‘Yakshagnana’ troupe or else screen Kannada classic movies. But such entertainment highlights have become rare over the years owing to dwindling audience.

Dishes
Says Harikrishna Bhat, Head, Department of Kannada Studies at Madurai Kamaraj University, “Our people merge with the mainstream wherever they are, identifying more with the local culture than the distant motherland.” Mr. Bhat, from Puthur in Kasaragod district, who has written a book, ‘Madurai nenappugalu’ (memories of Madurai) is now translating Tirukkural from Kannada to tulu.”

Some like K. Krishna Joisa, who is always on the lookout for new Kannadigas to rope them into the association in his capacity as its secretary, rue that Karnataka delicacies like Maddur vada, cherooti and Mangalore holige (boli) are not available in Madurai.

Besides the Kanara people, there are some wholesale coconut merchants (Basappa Mandi in Mudakku Salai and another opposite Cinepriya theatre complex) from Hubli-Dharwad region and few professionals from the Mysore-Bangalore belt.

Industrialist B.T. Banghera and renowned architect Y. R. Ramnath also hail from Karnataka.

Their association has bought a land near university for constructing a building with all facilties.

Dr. J. Vasanthkumar Bhat from Mangalore, who is the president of Gouda Saraswath Community of about 100 families in Madurai, says: “Initially our people came here to make pappads. My father J. Vasudeva Bhat was a Superintendent of Police for Madurai North in the 60s. We originally belong to Kashmir from where we migrated to Bengal and thence to Mangalore. Nowadays, many of our people here do not even speak Konkani.” Some of these strict vegetarians eat fish due to the Bengal interlude in their journey down south.

Shyamala Bhat, who hails from Kumble, says she misses ‘southakai’ (similar to cucumber but bigger) and kovakkai but is all praise for cotton saris here.

By and large, Kannadigas here are a contented lot.

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/09/17/stories/2009091750790400.htm

Madurai gilli

December 22nd, 2011, 02:37 AM

rsubbu.mdu

December 28th, 2011, 06:25 AM

Old but interesting news item...
---------------

A little known palatial legacy

Published in 2006 in the "The Hindu" (http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/04/01/stories/2006040100700400.htm)

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/04/01/images/2006040100700401.jpg

Even remnants and unfinished structures, such as Nayak Fort, have their own place in history

Though the Temple City is decked up with modern and tall structures that state contemporary life vividly, its every nook and cranny greet visitors at every step with delightful pieces of history. Scattered across the sprawling expanse of the city are reminders of a rich history. Even the remnants and unfinished structures have their own place in history. One such structure is the Nayak Fort that now houses the south zonal office of the Madurai Corporation and a library. But often, the structure eludes the public eye, as it is always defaced by posters. Thanks to the Assembly election, the fort is there for all to see in white splendour.

The fort wall of the Pandyas had the temple as its nucleus. The city was surrounded by a deep moat and lofty walls and the Vaigai skirted its walls to form a natural defence on one side. The Pandiya Fort, belonging to 13th-14th century, otherwise called the inner fort, is the present Amman Sannathi Gateway or `Vittavasal' as it is now known. The eastern entrance of the Pandyan Fort was Vittavasal while its western entrance was near the Nethaji statue, says C. Shanthalingam, Archaeological Officer.

Nayak Fort wall

When the Nayak dynasty established its reign, its kings involved themselves in extension activities. They built temples, tanks, aqueducts, and forts.

According to Mr. Shanthalingam, Viswanatha Nayak, a good administrator, was assisted by Ariyanatha Mudali, a well-known pradhani (first citizen), who served under the first four Nayak rulers. With his help, Viswanatha Nayak demolished the old Pandya rampart and ditches that surrounded the walls of the temple and constructed an extensive double-walled fortress with 72 bastions or garrisons (standing army).

He divided the Madurai country into 72 palayams and handed them over to 72 polygars or palayakars, who guarded their jurisdiction in the bastions.

The present Keezhavasal was the eastern gate and Melavasal near the Periyar Bus Stand the western gate of Nayak Fort wall that belongs to 16th century.

The long and wide wall structures have bastions or garrisons, which have two-storyed structures with around 5 to 10 rooms that served as guard rooms and arsenal, says G. Balaji, Conservation Architect, Department of Architecture, Thiagarajar Engineering College, who has done a thesis on `Conservation plan for historic city of Madurai'.

In 1841, when the then Collector Black Burn was involved in city extension activities, he demolished all 71 bastions and filled the moats to form the Veli streets.

Survived demolition

One of the bastions that survived demolition still remains to tell the tale of the past. The bastion serves as a corporation office while the ground floor accommodates a library named after a martyr.

The fact that helped the bastion to escape demolition is still a secret.

Perhaps, this bastion might have served as a hospital during that time or as an office of a British official, says Mr. Balaji, and adds that there is no proper record to show why the Collector spared the single bastion.

Similarly, the library in the bastion was founded in remembrance of a 13-year-old boy who died as martyr during the freedom struggle.

In 1942, when a political meeting was organised near Nethaji statue, an eighth standard boy Mani joined the rally, shouting `Vande Matharam.' Following a commotion, he was shot. Though it started as a mere reading room, in 1958, it became a full-fledged library for public use in the name of `Thyagi Mani Ninaivu Bharath Ilavasa Vasaga Salai.'

On the materials used for construction, Mr. Balaji says the Pandya fort was constructed with mud while the Nayak fort had stones

rsubbu.mdu

December 28th, 2011, 06:55 AM

Guys,

Need one help. I am planning for long to do a guided tour of Meenakshi Amman temple complex. Do any of you know a knowledgeable guide for this purpose.

Having done done guided tours of many ASI monuments, i still feel bad not knowing much about our own city temple.

rsubbu.mdu

December 28th, 2011, 07:21 AM

Some photos from the USC digital library:

(Aplogize for the huge photos, not able to resize them)

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assetserver/controller/item/impa-m56077/impa-abmpix-QL-30-011-0059;jsessionid=2E0D1F3F6653BF3F9B28D23C50C0601C?v=hr

Timeline of photo:1850/1897

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assetserver/controller/item/impa-m35408/impa-abmpix-15891?v=hr

Timeline : 1923/28

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assetserver/controller/item/impa-m23483/impa-abmpix-2521?v=hr
Timeline:1913/14 || Madurai Jn.

maduraipattanam

December 28th, 2011, 08:18 PM

thanks for your wonderful pictures rsubbu.mdu

maduraipattanam

December 28th, 2011, 08:24 PM

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00876/MAMP29LOGO_876783f.jpg

Footloose at the Meenakshi temple to record the city's pulse at daybreak.

As we turned into Elukadal Street on this cold and quiet Margazhi morning, the shrill cry of “chai, chai” broke the sepulchre-like silence. “Temple gopuram or a railway platform?” our minds wondered when Sikandar emerged from the darkness, his silhouette on a bicycle faintly visible. He apparently arrived three hours before we did for his usual rounds to sell 100-odd cups of tea. For decades, Sikandar has been among those nocturnal citizens who make Madurai the much celebrated Thoonganagaram.

Holding cups of steaming tea at 4 a.m. and staring at the empty dark street, we smugly thought we are the first ones to arrive. But when we reached Amman Sannathi, we were surprised to find a group of Ayyappa devotees in saffron dhotis queued outside the East gate. Stray dogs dug into the previous day's garbage. An elderly man walked briskly towards us and disappeared into darkness. It was a different feeling to see the pride of Madurai in the early hours, serene and silent.

Suddenly, our ears pierced with the loud beating of the nagada and cymbal. We looked at the watch: 4.30 a.m. A faint light glowed in the mandapam opposite the Amman Sannathi. Head constable Selvamohan quenched our curiosity. “It is the old man you just saw. Climb atop the Mandapam, you will find him there.”

But nowhere could we find a way to climb. The cop pointed to a wooden door of one of the shops tucked by the roadside. It was left ajar and we peeped in to find a stone staircase wide enough to place one foot! We pulled in our stomachs and squeezed ourselves up to the Nagada Mandapam.

The tiny cabin atop the mandapam was a revelation of sorts. We found the elderly man there. He flashed a toothless smile as he played the cymbals. His companion Selvaraj sat on a raised platform beating the nagada. Exactly after 30 minutes, silence fell again. Selvaraj emerged from the cabin sweating profusely. “It is a way of announcing to the city that the temple has been opened. Our family has been doing this since the time of Rani Mangammal. But with concrete buildings around, the sound of the nagada gets drowned so we are forced to use the mike. We will be back at 4.30 p.m.”

The first ray of the sun now kissed the gopuram. It instantly illuminated the faces of the yazhis and yakshis on the nine-tier gopuram. The temple gongs rented the air as did the chanting of ‘Om'. Fresh jasmine and roses in cane baskets came up on the platforms, shop shutters went up and a mix of walkers and devotees entered the Chithrai streets. All of sudden, there was a flurry of activity. Men in sport shoes and T-shirts, their lungis folded at the knee and foreheads smeared with vibhuti and kumkum, walked briskly around the temple. Some of them had earphones while the others walked to the Gayatri Mantra and Suprabhatam blaring from the loudspeakers.

It was time for the lights to be switched off as the sky turned from black to blue. More walkers poured in and the streets were no longer empty. Now we saw men in T-shirts and shorts. The women were out too, in sarees and sport shoes, filling their lungs with fresh air. We also spotted few foreigners swigging coke bottles for their morning stroll.

Bhakti and fitness now walked hand in hand in the abode of Goddess Meenakshi. ‘Tiffin ready' boards came up on pavements outside the restaurants and the city's heart started throbbing with life.

There were no prospective buyers in sight, yet Muthupandi and Nagamma were up and about for business. Muthupandi tried his best to sell us gaudy necklaces and bangles he makes from old brass coins. Our hearts, however, melted seeing a smiling Nagamma, full of hope for the day ahead. At 80-plus, abandoned by her sons, she makes a living by selling hair bands. At ten rupees a packet, each containing 15 colourful bands, even if she finds 10 customers in a day, she is grateful to God. We bought her tea and snacks and returned with her unforgettable expression of gratitude.

With the sun now shining in full glory and the gopuram resplendent in its light, we looked up for one final glance at the temple and walked back. Back in the hustle bustle, what lingered on in the mind was the chant of ‘Om' at dawn, the nagada beats piercing the silence and the smiles of Nagamma and Sikandar.

Source : http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2754774.ece

maduraipattanam

December 28th, 2011, 08:26 PM

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/406529_157183641054250_100002878457247_199938_1550292650_n.jpg

The Tiger Leyland City buses roamed in Madurai Roads, ran by TVS, in route nos.2,4,5,10-A,11,11-A & 14

Source: - Namma Madurai-FB

Wonderful picture gilli , thanks for sharing

dhandapanik

December 29th, 2011, 06:11 AM

madurakarenda

December 29th, 2011, 06:45 AM

Here it is dhandapani

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/7601/40652915718364105425010.jpg

rsubbu.mdu

December 29th, 2011, 07:15 AM

rsubbu.mdu

December 29th, 2011, 07:31 AM

Past Perspective

Christine Grandy-Dick, wanders around Madurai and is fascinated by the interesting mix of architectural styles: the indigenous tradition of Hindu architecture and the Raj era colonial architecture. She takes a look at the magnificent British era colonial buildings such as the Madura Mills, American Madura Mission, American College, Collector's Office, and the Government Rajaji Hospital. She traces the historic past of these buildings and says that it is imperative to preserve and honour the past because the future is the past in perspective

When I was strolling through Madurai, I was instantly captivated by the interesting mix of architectural styles – be it the enormous, colourful Meenakshi Amman Temple, the Thirumalai Nayak Palace built in 1636 in an Indo-Saracenic style, constructed entirely of brick and mortar, but without the support of a single rafter or girder, as opposed to the rustic buildings of the Raj Era between 1857 and 1947.

In the 16th century when the Nayaks gained independence and ruled Madurai, the ancient city was laid out in a lotus-like pattern around the Meenakshi Temple. After the mid 19th century, the British razed down the fortress of Madurai and filled up the moat, which led to the four Veli-streets which nowadays serve as the borders of the old city.

Mr. M. Ganapathy, the well-known Madurai-based architect and interior designer, who with his wife Chitra also founded Kadambavanam, a centre to celebrate Tamil culture, located 25 km from Madurai, shared his immense knowledge on colonial architecture in Madurai.

Madura Mills: Looming Large

In the 1880s, two brothers from Scotland, Andrew and Frank Harvey, came to southern India and started a huge steam-powered spinning mill dominating the north-west skyline of Madurai. Situated next to the then newly laid railway tracks, the mill grew rapidly. The well-lit, well-ventilated, spacious buildings, spread out like wings, were constructed with heavy stone blocks and large louvered windows with frosted glass panes. The Harvey brothers ushered in sweeping changes and a new ethos to the concept of labour employment. Caste barriers were weakened or eliminated. They also built a separate colony named 'Harveypatti', a few miles south of Madurai near the railway line, for their workmen's families, and the village 'Kochadai' for higher officials, which today is the “Heritage Hotel”. In the 1900s, the mill became Madura Coats and later Madura Viyella. Those responsible for the manufacturing and technical functions of the company operate out of here, from where one can oversee all the thread mills in Madurai.

From a Hill Village to a Premier Hotel

During the mid-19th century, Pasumalai (meaning 'cow hill') village, on the fringes of Madurai, took on a Christian flavour when the American Madurai Mission was established there and began to have an impact on local society. An American College followed in the mid-1880s. At the same time, the entire hillock was acquired by the giant Madura Mill. The company laid a proper road to the top of the hill', planted trees all over the hill and built a large house on the summit as the official residence of the Scottish managing director of the mill. This enabled Sir William Harvey – the first chief executive to move into the house – and other British magnates who followed him—to live relatively close and yet far away from the jostling crowds of Madurai and the din of the mill, in a realm under their total control.

From this vantage point, a managing director must have felt as grand as a White Pandian or White Nayak! A time came when this building was too large for one household and too unwieldy for installing modern amenities. Martin Henry, one of the managers of the mill in the 1970s, decided to use the building as a school, at first exclusively for the children of company officials and later for outsiders.

One of the first of these outsiders was M. Ganapathy, whose father – despite being poor – wanted to provide the best possible education for his son. “In 1970 at the tender age of four, I learned swimming at the pool located in the school and went in and out of the prestigious homes of my classmates,” recounts the architect. This school, Vikaasa, which Ganapathy attended from 6th grade onwards, outgrew the Pasumalai village and in the 1980s, moved from the Pasumalai hill into larger premises in Madurai itself.

Today, the former hill village is a premier hotel after major changes and additions to the structure. For example, the guest block of 1906 opposite to the reception, housing rooms like No.16, where I am currently staying. It certainly captures the Raj era ambience!

Monuments in Stone

The Government Rajaji Hospital, the Albert Victoria Bridge and the Collector's Office, built during the Raj era, reveal a classical influence in their layout as well as Islamic details in mouldings and open, arched balcony windows. The Rajaji Hospital was the first hospital in Madurai. Therefore it needed to be spacious. Every institutional building or college of that era by European colonists was monumental in scale and impressive. Materials and the costs of labour would have been much cheaper than today. At the Rajaji Hospital, I discovered three plaques set in grey brick stones. One tells about a foundation in 1940, followed in 1958 by an outpatients' department.

A solid brick castle built in 1916, houses the Collectorate of Madurai with its undeniable British origin, with low towers on its edges and terraces along the first floor, where well-ventilated offices with high, dark brown wooden doors, that you ascend by means of an elegantly-carved wooden staircase. So far, due to its perfect technical quality, no restoration has been necessary. But now, the first signs of erosion are visible. When you take a look from the outside up to the white painted ceiling, interrupted by wooden beams, the joints alongside the thick brick walls display a long crack: nevertheless, the present condition is quite commendable for a structure almost 100 years old.

The 105-year-old Albert-Victoria Bridge is still one of the strongest, with its sturdy, grey granite stones fused with cement. The TVS Cooperative building marks the end of the British architectural age in Madurai, according to Mr. Ganapathy. Although I couldn't enter the famous American College Campus because of a confrontation between students and the college management, the British architectural influence was visible even from the black iron gate. One section in warm red bricks and classical style; another block, square and functionally shaped, to the left of that. Going around Madurai I feasted my eyes on several buildings from the colonial era. It reminded me that the past and present can comfortably coexist. What is more important is to remind ourselves that the past has several lessons for us. For one, we need to preserve and honor the past because our future is nothing but the past in perspective.

Source:http://www.maduraimessenger.org/printed-version/2011/april/time-out/

madurakarenda

December 30th, 2011, 05:52 PM

Sahitya Akademi Award winner Su. Venkatesan on his literary journey

At first glance, the 1000-odd pages may not interest you and you may put ‘Kaval Kottam' aside for later reading. But soon, the volume itself becomes a compelling invitation to read. A fleeting look through the first chapter that describes the atrocities of Malik Kafur and his army grips one's attention. The sharp prose activates your ophthalmic and auditory nerves and you soon begin to smell the blood even while hearing horses' neighs and gallops as the novel races through the battle field.
Often history is made by people who think differently; but sometimes, history chooses people for greatness. Latter is clearly the case with Su. Venkatesan, one of the recipients of Sahitya Akademi Award for 2011. This is the first time in the history of the Sahitya Akademi that the prestigious award is being conferred in recognition of a debut novel.
Su. Venkatesan's love for history is evident even in the paintings and photographs that adorn his room apart from numerous books and manuscripts piled in the book rack. The visibly elated winner begins his chat with facts about the robust Madurai that's been a witness to 2500 years of History. “Every nook and corner of the streets and lanes have history embedded in it. The city has seen both a glorious and hoary past,” he says.
“Usually, if a city gets destroyed, life would come up in a nearby place rechristening it with a prefix ‘Pudhu' (new) to the name of the city. On the contrary, life in Madurai blossomed at the same place every time it was destructed,” notes Venkatesan.
Besides, he says, the city has inspired every writer since Sangam Age. Writers have elaborately dealt with Madurai's way of life and society in Sangam Literature, Bhakthi literature and so on. When he felt that the city's mammoth historicity is missing in modern Tamil literature, Venkatesan decided to make the town the hero of his novel – Kaaval Kottam, published in 2008. “Madurai is,” he says, “the endless stimulating subject.”
Already an author of poetry collections and seven research articles, Venkatesan was wondering what genre should he opt to write upon Madurai. Initially, not knowing whether it should be a fiction or non fiction, he traveled the length and breadth of the State and collected materials, records, facts and figures about the city. After three years of collection he sat for writing the book and from then on, the track was destined to reach success.
After contemplating on the idea, Venkatesan decided to record the untold history of Madurai in a novel form. He says: “poetry is certainly not a perfect medium to bring life in full. Hence I decided to go for novel.”
In Kaaval Kottam, the writer presents recorded history and folk history simultaneously. “Generally, history is written by taking inscriptions, copper plates, books of Islamic historians and Jesuit's Father's diaries into consideration. But, there exists a parallel history called ‘folk history' that has been disseminating facts through memories in the form of stories that never made an entry into the recorded history,” he says and adds, “there is a wide gap between the recorded and folk history.”
“In Kaaval Kottam, I have tried to bring out the subaltern history of Madurai, which was relegated for centuries,” he notes, “In my work, every character is an alpha male and alpha female apart from the strong women of royal lineage like Gangadevi, wife of Kumara Kempenna and Rani Mangammal.”
Though there are many scenes of importance in the novel, Venkatesan immediately highlights the utmost significance of demolition of the Madurai fort- the largest in Southern India of that time.
“The population of the city was 42,000 and the whole city was involved in demolition. Usually, British rulers demolish forts and walls from outside to conquer the city. But, this fort was demolished from inside and that too by the people themselves. People were lured to pull down the huge wall that protected the city,” he says.
The fort demolition scene runs into 60 pages picturesquely depicting the fall of the fort and how the British wooed the residents to part with the fort in the name of development.
The next dominant factor of the novel is the Mullai Periyar Dam. In his novel, Venkatesan presents the societal and economic background in which the Mullai Periyar dam was built. It portrays the suffering of people of the then unified district of Madurai and deaths that took place during the construction of the dam.
The novel also elaborates on the local policing system that prevailed in the city especially during Nayak regime before it was wiped out by the British to bring in the modern day judiciary system. It also vividly describes how the British officials crushed the security guards and lodged them in camps after declaring them as notified community under the Criminal Tribes Act.
Talking about his research and resources, Venkatesan says that he collected government orders, letters and manuscripts. In fact, he provides eyewitness descriptions for many facts including the ‘policing system'. Venkatesan also vividly describes the life of people, the equipment they used, their ceremonies and religious observances. He is tremendous at detail and descriptions of everything from the ‘local guards', the way they dressed, to the way they functioned and the way they spoke.
“Even in the language part, I have used varieties. From classic language for royal lineage to colloquial connotations for the laymen,” the author explains and believes that his book is a major contribution to Madurai's folk history.
The novel traces the history of 600 years of Madurai in a winning fashion starting from 1310. ‘Kaaval Kottam' is a product of 10 years of labour and through out these years he has written his manuscript in pencil – a writer's idiosyncrasy.
In total, the novel has about 250 short stories. Venkatesan has also given a story to director Vasanthabalan's ‘Aravaan' – a sub plot in Kaaval Kottam.
Forty-one-year-old Venkatesan loves poetry since his school days. In fact, his love for language earned him about 300 certificates which he had won in speech and verse writing competitions. Out of which, around 50 certificates are for State first prize. He owes his love for language to his Tamil teacher Ilankumaranar.
Under the influence of his parents, Venkatesan joined commerce course. Later, his love for language and philosophy made him join Marxist forum. At 19, as soon as he was out of Mannar Thirumalai Naicker College, he published his poetry collection ‘Ottaiyidatha pullaangulal.' “In those days, Marxism had a charm and no youth could escape its enchanting philosophies,” he says.
In 1997, he became the Taluk secretary for CPM in Thiruparankundram. Now, this full-time writer is the general secretary of Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artistes Association, art and literary wing of Communist Party of India.
“Sahitya Akademi for Kaaval Kottam is the recognition for local history written intricately and elaborately,” he says.
He plans to publish a research work on Criminal Tribes Act in India. At present, he is working for a historical novel on Tamil traditions.
And for the photo shoot, Venkatesan takes us to the Chettipodavu cave. “This is the place where Gangadevi worshipped Mahavir statue and began her life in Madurai. And my initial chapter is based on her and her warring skills.”

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2760987.ece

^^ Waiting for 'Aravaan' release which will portray our history in a very different perspective. Hope it makes Tamil movie Industry to transcend to the next level, and one thing is very sure, the movie will definitely be a thing that is going to make us Maduraiites proud. Posted here because it is related to the history of Madurai.

madurakarenda

January 2nd, 2012, 01:02 PM

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/6993/62315472.jpg

Madurai gilli

January 7th, 2012, 05:45 PM

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/255701_10150229688128675_632888674_7179477_6544427_n.jpg

Source : FB

vno_blaze

January 7th, 2012, 10:11 PM

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/5733996838_6ca049dfc6.jpg

kumaran_supm

January 8th, 2012, 04:40 AM

Madurai gilli

January 8th, 2012, 05:15 AM

Gilli any idea, where this pic was taken. I am bit curious as TVS is written on the bus or its some photoshopped image.

^^Sorry rsubbu.mdu, this picture was taken from FB where a friend called Karthikeyen used to post ancient/old images of Madurai.. He has the hobby of collecting old pictures.. I have no idea from where it's taken. But it is not a photoshoped image and a real one..:) Guess, this bus shud be in Chennai/Bangalore now..:)

Madurai gilli

January 8th, 2012, 05:17 AM

Just now i noticed this thread. I feel very happy and proud of Madurai. Thanks for the efforts and contributions by our forumers. I have forwarded this link as many to my friends and collegues. My Intention is to bring more foreign as well as local tourist here.

^^Thanks for doing that Kumaran...Looking forward for your contribution as well as your friends' to this thread..:)

rsubbu.mdu

January 9th, 2012, 04:04 AM

Poetry in stone

Frontline (http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2608/stories/20090424260812300.htm), Volume 26 - Issue 08 :: Apr. 11-24, 2009

The wonders of the Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple in Madurai, after its recent renovation.

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WE are standing on the eastern side of the Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, chosen on March 30 as one of the “Seven Wonders of India” by NDTV through a poll it conducted as part of the Union Tourism Ministry’s “Incredible India” campaign. Although it is only around 9 a.m., business has already picked up, with devotees and Indian and foreign tourists bargaining with shopkeepers in the temple’s pudu mandapa (new hall). Even as we scan the tall, stupendous base of the unfinished Raya gopuram in front of us, with its ornate thoranas, elegant carvings, sculptures of dancing damsels, lion-based pilasters and niches, the eyes of the scholar-leader of our team light up. He darts forward, removes the wooden planks propped up on the base and reveals a beautiful stone sculpture of Tirumalai Nayak (A.D. 1623 to 1659), the ruler of Madurai who contributed to the temple’s expansion.

A few steps away, we are on Ezhu Kadal Street, one of the oldest streets in Madurai. To our disappointment, the sacred tank, after which the street is named, is no longer there. A big multi-storeyed shopping complex has taken its place. “I have seen the tank brimming with water in the early 1980s,” says K. Ganesan, Special News Photographer, The Hindu/Frontline.

Ezhu Kadal (Seven Seas) has a 500-year history behind it. An inscription that used to be at the spot referred to Saluvanarasa Nayak, an officer of the Vijayanagar emperor who excavated the tank in 1516 to collect “merit” for the emperor Krishnadevaraya. Opposite the multi-storeyed shopping complex is a small temple dedicated to Kanchanamala, mother of Meenakshi. According to legend, Sundareswarar, Meenakshi’s consort, made the seven seas converge in Madurai to fulfil Kanchanamala’s wish to bathe in the seven seas of the world. Back in the pudu mandapa built by Tirumalai Nayak, a world of poetry in stone awaits us. It is full of sculptures of indescribable beauty: Siva as “Ekapadamurthy”, “Gajasamharamurthy”, and “Ravana anugrahamurthy”; Siva performing the “Urthava thandava” dance; Kali; prancing yalis; warriors on horses; mythical animals; and so on. There are also sculptures depicting scenes from Siva Lila (Tiruvilayadal Puranam in Tamil), which took place in Madurai – Siva converting foxes into horses, a stone-elephant coming alive to eat sugarcane, Siva feeding milk to a piglet, Siva preaching to a black sparrow, and so on.

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The gargantuan base of the unfinished Raya gopuram (in the foreground), the pudu mandapa, and the raja gopuram at the eastern side of the temple.

Another facet of the pudu mandapa emerges as a temple employee opens the gates and leads us into its central nave. Standing on huge pillars on either side of the imposing corridor are majestic portrait sculptures of 10 rulers of the Madurai Nayak dynasty – from Viswanatha Nayak, the progenitor of the dynasty, to Tirumalai Nayak with his two wives.

The real beauty of the Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple is emerging before the viewer’s eyes, thanks to the temple administration’s efforts to give a facelift to the historic site on the occasion of the khumbhabhishekam, held on April 8. The 15-acre (one acre is 0.4 hectare) temple complex has been bustling with activity. From September 2007, several hundred artisans, artists, sthapathis and masons have been working to refurbish the complex. Load-bearing granite beams and roof slabs that had developed cracks have been replaced with new architectural members. The hideous metal cladding that obscured the view of the geometrical and floral designs of the pillars have been removed. The vimana of the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine of Meenakashi has been gold-plated now. About 30 kilograms of pure gold was converted into sheets to cover it.

Karumuttu T. Kannan, Chairman, Board of Trustees of the temple, called it a “challenge” to replace the four beams and 87 roof slabs with new members. Kannan said: “It was not easy to take them out because these structures were several centuries old and their stability was involved.” The metal props that supported the structure in the south-east corner of the Meenakshi shrine’s sanctum sanctorum were replaced with pillars. A team of sthapathis sculpted these pillars with carvings.

Now the temple premises is a riot of polychromatic colours. The 12 gopurams, including the four majestic raja gopurams with hundreds of stucco sculptures, painted in multicolours, glow in the sun. Mandapas with pillars and elegant sculptures have received a generous coat of polyurethane, which K. Rajanayagam, temple executive officer, claimed was a “preservative”. Panels of small sculptures that run for several hundred metres above the capitals of pillars dazzle with enamel paint. Rajanayagam said the attempt was to restore the temple’s originality “as per the principles of agama”.

The temple complex stands in the heart of Madurai town, on the banks of the Vaigai river. Its architecture is marvellous, with inner and outer prakaras running around the two sanctum sanctorums. On the four sides of the complex are streets that run parallel to each other, in the form of a square within a square – a testimony to the excellent town-planning of those early days. The temple’s origin, growth and development are organically linked to those of the town.

In her book Madurai Through the Ages: From the earliest times to 1801 A.D., D. Devakunjari says, “Whether as a temple city or a capital city, the history of Madurai is distinct from that of other cities. Politically, Madurai was the capital of a single dynasty, the Pandyas, who ruled continuously as far as is known from the early years of Christianity down to the 14th century. This fact alone, more than anything else, is enough to gain for Madurai a unique place. Even after the Pandyas, Madurai continued as the capital of some dynasty or the other for four centuries more. It has, therefore, had a continuous history as a political capital for eighteen centuries.”

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The sculpture depicting the wedding of Meenakshi to Sundareswarar, at the pudu mandapa of the temple.

In this book, published in 1979 by the Society for Archaeological, Historical and Epigraphical Research, Chennai, the late Devakunjari says: “The history of Madurai as a religious centre goes back to remote times when the temple, one of its oldest institutions, has had a coeval history with those of the rulers and remains as important as ever even after the rulers have disappeared. The Madurai temple is not only of hoary antiquity but possesses an entire purana of its own, relating to the lilas of Sundareswarar, the deity of Madurai. This purana, known as Halasya Mahatmya or Tiruvilayaidal in Tamil, narrates the 64 lilas performed by God.”

The temple has four raja gopurams, on the east, the west, the south and the north. Each gopuram is nine-storeys tall. Besides these, there are eight gopurams of which two are vimanas. Inside the temple is the Golden Lotus Tank, which unfortunately was cemented up a few years ago.

As Devakunjari says, the raja gopurams have “a singular beauty and grace of their own. Many temple gopuras…are either too wide or too narrow in proportion to their height. The builders of the Madurai temple had a fine sense of artistry and the towering outer gopuras are standing monuments to their genius.” Each gopuram teems with hundreds of stucco figures of the deities in the Hindu pantheon, the various forms of Siva and his lilas.

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A VIEW OF the 1,000-pillared mandapa with the image of Nataraja at the centre.

The east gopuram was built by Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan in the 13th century and is the oldest of the four. At its base are two Tamil inscriptions, which refer to the gopuram as “Sundarapandya Tirugopuram” and “Avanivendaraman Tirugopuram” (the king who conquered the world).

The west gopuram was built by Parakrama Pandya in A.D. 1323.

The 161-foot (49.1 m) south gopuram is the tallest of the four. It is a magnificent structure with late Vijayanagar and early Madurai Nayak characteristics. The squatting lions on the wall pilasters are typical of the Vijayanagar period. It was built by Siramalai Sevvandi in A.D. 1478. “Structurally,” says Devakunjari, it is “one of the most beautiful. The two tiers of its stone base are well proportioned to each other and are of an imposing appearance…. The brick structure is of singular beauty though myriads of stucco figures hide its architectural construction. The sloping edge has a more concave sweeping curve than in the other three gopuras. This gives it a peculiar elegance which is admirable.”

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The sculpture of Parvati riding a peacock.

The north gopuram was built by Krishnappa Nayaka (A.D. 1595-1601).

Another wonder is the unfinished Raya gopuram, with its gargantuan base: 200 feet by 120 ft (61 metres by 36.6 m). Devakunjari says: “It is a stupendous structure and if it had been completed, it would have been one of the biggest gopuras in South India. The building owes its origin to Tirumala Nayaka, who is also reported to have built similar unfinished gopuras in numerous other centres in South India. The monolithic pillars of Raya gopuram are over 50 feet high and mark a high degree of proficiency which the Dravidian stone masons attained.”

As the level of the road around the Raya gopuram has risen by 10 ft (3 m), the tall stone carvings of dancing damsels surrounded by ornate creepers are hidden from our view. With “commerce settling on every tree”, to borrow a phrase from Ananda Coomaraswamy, textile shops have taken over the base of the Raya gopuram.

Besides the gopurams, what amazes a visitor are the dozen mandapas built by Vijayanagar rulers and the Madurai Nayaks – the pudu mandapa, the Nagara mandapa, the 1,000-pillared mandapa, the Rani Mangammal mandapa, the Ashta Sakthi mandapa, the Kambathadi mandapa, the Meenakshi Nayak mandapa, the Kilikatti mandapa, and so on. With massive pillars and secular and religious sculptures, they are amazing feats of workmanship. The most outstanding one is the 1,000-pillared mandapa, built in the 16th century by Ariyanatha Mudali, “the great general and Minister” of the first three Nayaks of Madurai – Viswanatha Nayak, Kumara Krishnappa Nayak and Veerappa Nayak.

At its centre is a big image of Nataraja, dancing on a kurma peetam, surrounded by pillars with splendorous sculptures. On the base of the mandapa are long panels of sculptures of warriors on horses, battle scenes, Nataraja, Kali, Dakshinamurthy, Arjuna’s penance, and so on. On either side of the entrance there are tall, elegant sculptures of Chandramathi holding her infant in her hands, a gypsy woman (kurathi in Tamil) with one child on one of her shoulders, another child clinging to her breast and a third walking beside her. The adjacent sculpture is that of a gypsy man (kurvan) with his gear.

An outstanding sculpture inside is that of an elegant-looking “virali” woman, with an aristocratic mien, a sharp nose and a sensuous body, wearing a pleated sari and huge earrings. The sculptor has paid so much attention to detail that even the strands of her coiffured hair can be seen.

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There is also a fantastic sculpture of Arjuna as a eunuch teaching dance to Uthirai, whose sculpture is on the opposite side. In his eunuch form, Arjuna is shown with a big, hanging moustache, big breasts, tall headgear, ornamental earrings and a waistband. The sculpture of Uthirai is equally arresting. There are also sculptures of Nagaraja, Siva as Bhiskhadana, Siva beheading Dakshan, Siva giving a reprieve to Dakshan with a ram head and a ram-headed Dakshan worshipping Siva. A puzzling carving on a pillar shows three men with a single torso, one head and four legs.

The 1,000-pillared mandapa also has bronzes of Nataraja, various forms of Siva, Ambica and Sivagami and minute ivory carvings of amorous couples, Yavana women, Tirumalai Nayak, prancing yalis, decorated hand fans with blades made of thin ivory, and so on. There is a massive door of the 17th century, which stood at the entrance to the east gopuram. The door, 9.38 m high and 2.14 m wide, has hundreds of superb carvings.

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The vimana of Sundareswarar, called Indira Vimana, is unique. It is supported by sculptures of eight massive elephants, called ashtadigh gajas, standing and facing in eight different directions. One of them is Iravatham, the elephant-vehicle of Indra. “No other temple in Tamil Nadu has this type of architecture, where ashtadigh gajas are supporting the vimana,” said K. Sridharan, retired Superintending Archaeologist, Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department. The Indra Vimana was built by Viswanathan Nayak.

Inscriptions

The temple is full of inscriptions – on the prakara walls, on the gopurams, on the wall abutting the steps leading to the Golden Lotus Tank and even on the two giant, arched brass lamps that rise to a height of more than 25 ft (7.6 m). Just a month ago, interesting inscriptions were discovered on both lamps. An inscription on one of the lamps says it was erected in 1819 by Syed Ismail, the tahsildar of Madurai Madakulam, on the orders of Collector Major Ross Pieter.

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The inscription on the other lamp refers to it as “Makara Thorana Tiruvasi” and says it was erected on November 21, 1898, by Bangaru Tirumalai Swamy Nayak on the orders by Muthu Vijaya Raghunatha Duraisingam alias Gowri Vallabha Devar, who was a zamindar of Sivagangai. There are two inscriptions on the talas for the dance of Nataraja. They are titled “Nardhana tala” and “Saptha suzhadhi tala”. There are several inscriptions in Telugu and Tamil.

There is a wealth of murals in Rani Mangammal mandapa, the kalyana mandapa and the unjal (swing) mandapa. The murals on the ceiling of Rani Mangamma mandapa give one an insight into an important custom of the Madurai Nayaks: the Nayak rulers giving their royal sceptre to Meenakshi and receiving it from her every year. Another interesting mural shows Rani Mangammal along with her grandson, Vijayaranga Chokkanatha Nayak, watching the wedding of Meenakshi to Sundareswarar. Other murals portray various forms of Siva and Meenakshi battling the “Dighbalas”. These murals, belonging to the 17th century, have label inscriptions in Telugu and Tamil.

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Arvind Kumar, coordinator, INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage), whose team is conserving these murals, said, “We are treating these murals as antique paintings. There is no repainting or recreation. It is scientific conservation.”

According to S. Ramachandran, retired Senior Epigraphist, Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department, Madurai was called “Madirai” during the pre-Christian era and up to 10th century A.D. The earliest references to Madurai occurred in the Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions of the second century B.C., found at Mettupatti and Azhagarmalai, near Madurai. Inscriptions in these places refer to a village elder named Visuvan, a goldsmith, a Jain monk and a salt trader as belonging to “Madirai”.

Even Mathura, in present-day Uttar Pradesh, was originally known as Mathira, said Ramachandran. It was from the 10th/11th century A.D. that Madirai came to be called Madurai.

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THE EXQUISITE SCULPTURE of the 10-headed Ravana Anugrahamurthy at the pudu mandapa.

The Meenakshi temple dates back to 1,800 years, says V. Vedachalam, retired Senior Epigraphist, Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department, in his article titled “Inscriptions in Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple”, published in the volume brought out on the occasion of the kumbhabhishekam. The Kumbhabhishekam Malar 2009 is a treasure of information on the temple. It runs to 400 pages with 100 pages of illustrations. The volume’s editors are M. Arunagiri, Vedachalam, Devendra Bhoopathy, and L. Manivannan and its assistant editors are Dr. S. Kumaresamoorthy and T. Vijaya Raghunathan. The entire volume has no advertisements.

The Tamil literary works Purananuru and Madurai Kanchi of the Sangam age (third century B.C. to third century A.D.) refer to the temple, and Paripadal of the post-Sangam age talks about how the town came up with the temple at its centre. “While Madurai was earlier a political capital, it is Paripadal which makes the first reference to the town being a religious centre,” says Vedachalam.

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Although several dynasties contributed to the temple’s development, “as far as the inscriptions are concerned, only those from the end of the 12th century A.D. are available in the temple. It is a big surprise how the Vattelettu inscriptions of the early Pandyas and the Chola inscriptions are not available in the temple. Although no inscriptions of this period are available, the fact remains that the temple flourished during the rule of the early Pandyas and the Cholas,” asserts Vedachalam in his article.

Right from the seventh century A.D., the temple has witnessed a remarkable growth during the rule of early Pandyas, the Cholas, the medieval Pandyas, the later Pandyas, the Vijayanagar kings, Vanadirayars (the chieftains of the Vijayanagar rulers), the Madurai Nayaks and the British rule. It was during the rule of the Vijayanagar kings and the Madurai Nayaks that the temple expanded a great deal and reached the status of a huge temple complex that it is today.

Did the Vijayanagar rulers and the Madurai Nayaks, who expanded the temple a great deal, throw away the inscriptions in the process of expansion? “We do not know,” he says

rsubbu.mdu

January 9th, 2012, 04:05 AM

Unique in its own way

The Hindu (http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/08/04/stories/2007080450090400.htm), Aug 04, 2007

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/08/04/images/2007080450090401.jpg
Close to heart Replete with history

Stumble upon any stone, pillar or a statue and it is bound to hide some history and interesting stories. True to its name — the Athens of the East — the Temple City has many unique features especially with regard to temples. They contribu te immeasurably to the city’s rich cultural heritage. But who has the record and will remind us of the long-forgotten facts that are slowly fading into oblivion. One such place is ‘Mottai Vinayagar Temple on East Masi Street.’

Lord Ganesha is always identified with elephant-head and trunk. But, here the deity at the temple has no head, hands or legs.

Popularly known as ‘Mottai Vinayagar,’ its history, though not documented, is believed to belong to the period of King Chandrasekera Pandyan in 1530 AD.

Says R. Sundaravel, former secretary of the Temple Governing Committee, “Veerasekara Cholan waged a battle against King Chandrasekera Pandyan, who sought the help of King of Vijayanagar Kingdom.

Nayak rule

Following which, Nagama Nayak came down to the city and established his rule here. Disappointed, the Pandya King again sought the help of Vijayanagar King, who again sent Viswanatha Nayak to arrest his father Nagama Nayak in Madurai.

But later looking at the sorry state of the country, Viswanatha Nayak declared himself king the Madurai country and imposed ‘deshaprashtam’ (they should not mingle with people and suffered ostracism) on the Pandya king and his family members, Mr. Sundaravel says.

Moving far and wide, the members of the community (later known as Nadars meaning people who ruled the country) collected a tax called ‘magamai’ from the community and established their own educational institutions and temples as they were not allowed to enter the common temple, he claims.

Similarly, the community from other parts of the southern districts came to Madurai to sell its produce and products. Meanwhile to escape from the thieves, the traders built ‘pettai’ (‘keezha pettai’ near the temple and ‘mela pettai’ or ‘veli pettai’ near old Chokkanathar Temple) and installed the statue of Vinayagar in 1700 AD.

Legendary characters

The 16-foot structure that served as the wall (kottai suvar) for the ‘pettai’ still stands tall, trumpeting its proud history, Mr. Sundaravel says.

The Archaeological Officer, C. Santhalingam, says that King Chandrasekera Pandyan and Veerasekara Cholan might be legendary characters or little chieftains as there is no proper record for their presence. Mr. Santhalingam says that Nagama Nayak was sent to control the riots between Madurai and Tirunelveli. Later, Viswanatha Nayak established the rule with the consent of Vijayanagar. When Nayaks established rule in Madurai, Pandya king and his kin left the kingdom and joined their relatives in Kayatharu, Tenkasi and Tirunelveli.

All auspicious events begin with an invocation to this deity at Mottai Vinayagar Temple. At the commencement of all rituals that mark the life of a Hindu from birth to death, it is the worship of Ganesha that precedes the ceremony, says C. Chellaih, a 77-year-old devotee, who dares not miss a visit whenever he happens to cross the Street. Recently, the temple authorities have removed the hundi of the temple and people can perform puja all by themselves.

saileshmurali

January 16th, 2012, 07:40 AM

saileshmurali

January 16th, 2012, 03:16 PM

Dear MG,

Wonderful photos...

Madurai gilli

January 17th, 2012, 11:25 AM

Thanks Saileshmurali. Please Look at the Madurai Industries & Development thread for more info on TVS Group industries in Madurai.

We, Madurai SSC-ians wish TVS Groups, the all Success & grow further high and bring many new Industries to their native Madurai & its surrounding region.

Wish you all the best for your presentation..!! :)

kannan infratech

January 17th, 2012, 12:07 PM

TVS Group - 60 Years of Business

Just four years away from hitting a century and into its fourth generation, TVS manages 33 companies under one umbrella. It has a decentralised set-up but centralised unity

It was 1929 and names such as Ford and General Motors were already a part of American lives. Cars in pre-Independent India were rare but they were slowly getting a look in. It wasn’t as if India didn’t have a market for them—zamindars and government officials had the money. But they seemed to prefer the good-old horse cart to a new technology about which they knew a zilch. Around this time, General Motors chose a south Indian company as its franchisee. It is said that the company owner had a son who had an ingenious way of inducing the rich to buy his cars—TS Duraisamy would visit the wealthy in an imported car, leave that and the driver behind and return in the host’s horse-cart. Duraisamy would pay a visit back in a week or so, by which time his host would have got used to the comfort and the status that the car gave him. At once, he would become Duraisamy’s customer.

When the General Motors franchise came about, Duraisamy’s father, TV Sundram Iyengar, had already clocked 18 years in business. Though Sundram Iyengar did become the ‘English-language lawyer’ that his father always wanted him to be, he dumped two cushy jobs (in Railways and a bank) on the way to realising his passion—business. In 1911, he started off with a bus service in the southern temple town of Madurai.

Since then, and over the next 96 years, the group has managed to get into almost everything related to the automobile sector, including finance, insurance, manufacture of two-wheelers, tyres and components. The group has managed to run 33 companies that account for a combined turnover of nearly $3 billion.

That was not all, the group had shown that it could also adapt to a globalised marketplace. And it even survived a few failed joint ventures. But more importantly, just four years away from a century and into its fourth generation, the business family has managed to stick together. The group refused to talk to Outlook Business for this story.

The Four Families

What started as a single man’s passion soon became the business of a family. Sundram Iyengar had five sons and three daughters, and in his patriarchal Tamil Brahmin family all male members got into the business. With Duraisamy’s early death, four other sons—TS Rajam, TS Santhanam, TS Srinivasan and TS Krishna—became an integral part of the business and ever since there have been four largely distinct branches that, however, have worked under the TVS umbrella. Broadly, today, Rajam’s grandchildren manage the holding company TV Sundram Iyengar & Sons; Santhanam’s sons run Sundaram Finance and Wheels India; Srinivasan’s sons are in charge of TVS Motor Company and TVS Electronics; and Krishna’s sons handle Sundram Fasteners and Sundaram Brake Linings.

The holding company, TV Sundram Iyengar & Sons, has stakes directly or indirectly in companies belonging to the four branches, which are free to chalk out independent strategies. So, even though Venu Srinivasan sits on the board of Sundram Fasteners, it’s its Chairman and Managing Director Suresh Krishna who calls the shots.

"The TVS family gives enough space to its members," says Dr Kavil Ramachandran, the Thomas Schmidheiny Fellow of Family Business at Hyderabad’s Indian School of Business. "Too much centralisation is dangerous is every sphere. That’s true for family businesses, too. TVS has a decentralised set-up but centralised unity."

Ramachandran reckons that some sort of centralisation is possible if there’s one great leader. But a more decentralised set-up is needed when there are many. He says, "family businesses such as this allow freedom but there are restrictions in using the name, linked to certain core values that might include quality parameters and how employees are taken care of."

The Passing Threat

Media reports recall how the only time family differences came out in the open was in the early 1990s when two groups belonging to different branches but having similar product lines faced a clash of interest. That sorted out, the family once again signalled that all was hunky-dory with it when all the four branch representatives came together in 2004 to announce the setting up of TVS Logistics.

Observers, however, say one of the branches—Santhanam Group—has tried to maintain its

distinct identity over the years. Santhanam started Sundaram Finance in 1954, and its current promoter holding of 38% is finely fragmented among 275 constituents (who are mostly individual stakeholders). One of the highest individual stakes among promoters is 2.5%, held by India Motor Parts & Accessories (where TV Sundram Iyengar & Sons holds just over 20% stake). In comparison, the holding company, along with other group units, has a far higher stake and, thus, a far greater grip on companies such as TVS Motor and Sundram Fasteners. For instance, TV Sundram Iyengar & Sons alone has a direct 25% stake in Sundram Fasteners while the holding company, along with group investment companies, has an 80% stake in Sundaram-Clayton, which directly and indirectly holds a 56% stake in TVS Motor.

Why They Tick

One reason why TVS as a group has been largely successful is believed to be its judicious use of capital. "If a TVS company, say, has Rs 25 crore as extra resources and it needs to expand, it would use Rs 20 crore while some others in the same situation would leverage it to Rs 40 crore," says a Chennai-based investment banker who tracked the group over the years.

"They have been conservative in a positive sense and disciplined," he says, pointing out how some group companies have largely used bonus issues as a way to increase paid-up capital after once going to the market.

As far as manufacturing goes, the group has largely been able to bring quality and efficiency, and the five Deming awards (a Japanese recognition of quality) are proof of that. "The group stands out for its exemplary manufacturing competencies and quality standards, which would be benchmarked against global standards," says the investment banker.

Its entrepreneurship model could mean that subsidiary firms of the earlier generation may serve as parents of nextgen’s newer companies

This, in turn, has helped the group tap global clients. Sundram Fasteners, for instance, gets nearly a third of its revenues from exports. Quality and investment in technology also helped TVS Motor emerge a winner with the Victor brand motorcycle, after its marriage with Suzuki ended.

On the personnel front, the group seems to have put behind the era of labour problems and, according to someone who worked in a group company for over three decades, there is a great deal of merit-based assessment of employees.

From Here To...

ISB’s Ramachandran believes that succession in groups such as TVS is well laid out. "In many family groups, succession is a given. But in groups such as Murugappa (another Chennai-based group) and TVS, the successive generations are groomed and prepared well so that they can join the management. Family values make sure they are in a position to command respect, not demand respect."

In a rare interview to a media house in 1999, K Mahesh, son of TS Krishna, recalled how he had to work his way up the ladder before he could head Sundaram Brake Linings.

His son, Krishna Mahesh joined the company as its Executive Director a couple of years back. But it wasn’t before equipping himself academically, including an MBA from Harvard, as also working in companies such as McKinsey and Toyota Motor.

Industry watchers say the entrepreneurship model could mean the subsidiary companies of the earlier generation could serve as the parents of newer companies that could be floated by the upcoming generation. There’s already the example of Sundaram Clayton, which was, among other companies, the parent of TVS Investments. In turn, TVS Investments floated TVS Electronics. And now TVS Electronics owns Sravaana Properties. The next-gen is ready .

(With inputs from KS Vasanth)

kannan infratech

January 17th, 2012, 12:14 PM

TVS Group Companies

MANUFACTURING
Axles India Limited
Brakes India Limited
India Nippon Electricals Limited
Irizar TVS (P) Ltd
Lucas-TVS Limited
Lakshmi Auto Components Limited
Sundaram Dynacast Limited
Sundaram-Brake Linings Limited
Sundaram-Clayton Limited
Sundram Fasteners Limited
Sundaram Industries Limited
Sundaram Textiles Limited
TVS Automotive Europe Limited
TVS Cherry Limited
TVS Interconnect Systems Limited
TVS Electronics Limited
TVS Lanka Limited
TVS Srichakra Limited
TVS Motor Co. Ltd.
TVS Sewing Needles Limited
Transenergy Limited
Torsion Products Limited
Turbo Energy Private Limited
Wheels India Limited

TRADING AND SERVICES
T V Sundram Iyengar & Sons Limited
Madras Auto Service
Harita Finance Ltd
India Motor Parts & Accessories Limited
Lucas Indian Service
Sundaram Finance Limited
Sundaram Motors
Southern Roadways Limited

kannan infratech

January 17th, 2012, 12:18 PM

M.S.S,T.M.S,Madurai Somu,Madurai N.Krishnan,Mani Iyer,Seshagoplan,Ramanar,Rukmani
M.S.Subbulakshmi was born in Madurai on September 16,1916.Her mother Shanmugavadivu was a Veena vidwan in Madurai.MS was a child prodigy.Her first record was released when she was just 10 years old.She has acted in few Tamil films also in her younger days.She was married to Kalki Sadasivam who died in 1977.After her husband's death she stopped giving performances.Her famous renditions include Venkateswara suprabatham and Meera Bhajan.She was awarded Padma bushan,Padma Vibushan and later Bharat Ratna by the Indian government.AP governement has installed a bronze statue of MS in Tirupathi.She has also won the Ramson Magsay award.She died on December 11,2004

T.M.Soundararajan was born in Madurai on March 24,1923.He was ruling the Tamil film industry for over 40 years.He belongs to the Sourashtra community from Madurai.His devotional songs on Lord Muruga are popular.He has acted in few Tamil films also.He was awarded Padmshri by Indian Govenrment in 2003.In his formative years he imitated another star singer of yester years M.K.Thiagaraja Bagavathar.But later he developed a style of his own and many of the songs rendered by him are immortal and the favourites of many Tamil film goers.

Madurai Somu was was born in Madurai in 1919.He is the desciple of another famous carnatic musician Chittoor Subramanya pillai.Somu had an inimitable style of his own.He would render songs on Lord Muruga so emotionally and the audience would be spellbound on most of the occasions.His music career was started in 1934 at Tiruchendur.Hence he always had an emotional bonding with Lord Muruga.He was awarded Padmashri by the Indian government in 1976.Annamalai university conferred doctorate on him He died in the year 1989.

Madurai N.Krishnan was a desciple of Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar.He has composed many dance dramas for Tiruppavai and Divyaprabhandam.He got UNESCO award in 1970,Padmashri in 1992 and Padmabhushan in 2003.Indian Fine Arts Society also honoured him .He died in the year 2005 at Chennai.

Madurai Mani Iyer, carnatic Vocalist was born in 1925 at Madurai.He was a child prodigy.He had a unique style of singing.There was a huge fan following for his unque style of carnatic rendering.He died in the year 1968.

Madurai T. N. Sheshagopalan is a carnatic musician and a composer. He was born in 1948. He is also an Harikatha exponent.He is a science graduate.He has also acted in a music based Tamil film called 'Thodi Ragam' directed by another great musician Kunnakudi Vaithyanathan.He has travelled widely world over and has given concerts. His bhajans and abhangs are most popular among music fans.He is also good at playing veena and keyboard.He was a music professor in Madurai university for some time.

Bagawan Ramana Mahirishi was born in a village called Tiruchuzhi near Madurai in 1845. He and his brother moved to Madurai for school education.When he started feeling the 'Awakening' , he started visiting the nearby Meenakshi temple regularly. He was then living in an house in the lane just opposite to the South Tower of Meenakshi temple. In 1896 Ramanar left Madurai for Tiruvannamalai and the rest his history.

Rukmanidevi Arundale was born in Madurai in the year 1904.She was a Bhartanatyam dancer and choreographer.She was also a theosophist.She was awarded Padmabhushan in 1956.The magazine 'India Today' named her among the '100 people who shaped India'.She was a follower of Dr.Anne Besant.At Theosophical Society,she met British theosophist Dr.Arundale.Later She maried Arundale and travelled all over world on theosophical activities.She also established the dance school Kalakshetra at Adayar.She was also a Rajys Sabha member for one term.She died in the year 1986.

T.V.S,P.T.Rajan,De Morgan,Karumuthu,Jana Krishna,S.Pappiah,Indra Soundar
T.V.Sundaram Iyengar started the big business conglomerate TVS at Madurai in 1923.He made an humble begining with a fleet of lorries and buses in the name of Southern Roadways at Madurai.He later diversified and started rubber retreading and Sundaram Motors Limited.A host of ancillary automobile industries were also started by TVS later on.Today the TVS group includes the following companies.Lucas TVS,Sundram Claytons,Sundaram Finance,Axles India,Wheels India,Brakes India,Sundaram Fasteners,Turbo energy Limited,TVS Motor Company,Sundaram Brake Linings TVS logistics and TVS Electronics.These companies are now managed by his sons and grandsons.He died in the year 1955.

P.T.Rajan was born in 1892 in Madurai.He was educated at Cambridge and Oxford.He became a legislative council member as a Justice Party candidate.He held various portfolios and finally became the Chief Minister in 1933 of the then Madras Presidency.Later he became an MLA in 1952.He died in 1974.The present Panchaloga idol of LordI Iyyappan at Sabarimala in Kerala was installed by him in early 1950's.His son PTR Palanaivel Rajan was also a minister and speaker in the Tamilnadu government.

Augustus De Morgan ,the great Mathematician known for Morgan Algebra,Relation algebra and Universal Algebra was born in Madurai in 1806.He was born to Col.De Morgan of East India company.De Morgan is the grandson of Dodson who computed the anti logarothm tables.As a two month old baby Morgan lost vision in one eye and the family moved from Madurai to to London.His father and grand father were also born in India.He died in the year 1871.The headquarters of London Mathematical society is named after him as Morgan House.

Karumutu Thiagarajan Chettiar was born on 1893.He took active part in the freedom struggle.He was the founder of the Bank of Madura.He also owned 14 textile mills in Tamilnadu and Kerala.About 19 educational institutions were started by him.Thiagarajar Enginering College and Thiagarajar Arts and science College are among the premier educational institutions of Madurai.His son is the Madurai Industrialist and Meenakshi Temple Trustee Karumuthu T.Kannan.Mr.M.Thiagarajan MD,of Paramount Airways is the grandson of Karumuthu Thiagrajan Chettiar.He is the world's youngest Airline CEO.

Jana Krishnamurthy was born in Madurai in 1928.He was a successful practising lawyer in Madurai until 1965.In 1993 he moved to Delhi.He later became the National president of the BJP for a term during 2001-2002.He was also Union Law Miinister during the BJP rule.

Solmon Pappiah the famous 'Patti mandram Naduvar' (Debate Moderator) lives in Madurai.He himself is a well known debator,orator and was the former Professor and Head of the Department of Tamil in American College,Madurai.He was awarded Kalaimamani award by the Tamilnadu government.

Indira Soundararajan the famous Tamil Author was born in Madurai.He lives in Madurai.He is the author of many short stories,novels TV Serials and screenplays.His ghost Stories and supernatural thrillers are most popular amont Tamil readers.The popular TV serials Marmadesam and Rudraveenai were based on his stories.

TKS Brothers,Maniratnam,Vijayakanth,Vivek,Vadivelu,Bala,Ameer
The famous TKS brothers theater company was started in Madurai in 1925.TKS brothers were Sankaran,Muthuswamy,Shanmugam and Bagavathy.In 1950 they renamed their theater company as TKS Nataka Sabha.Those days male actors played female roles.TKS brothers introduced for the first time actresses for female roles.Many famed theater and film artists started their carrer in the TKS group.Veterans like NSK S.V.Sahasranamam S.V.Subbiah K.R.Ramaswamy A.P.Nagarajan S.S.Rajendran M.S.Draupati M.N.Rajam and Kamalahasan have all acted in TKS theatre group one time or other in the begining of their careers.

Director Maniratnam was born in Madurai in 1956.He shortened his full name Gopalaratrnam Subramaniam as Maniratnam after coming to films.He did his MBA in Jamanlal Bajaj Insittute.The management consultant turned Film director has many hit films to his credit.He married actress Suhasini in 1988.Healso runs a film production company called Madras Talkies.His films Roja and Bombay were nationally acclaimed.The Oscar winner A.R.Rehman made his debut to the film industry in Maniratnams film Roja.

Vijayakanth Tamil actor was born in Madurai in 1952.He has acted in over 150 Tamil films.He was also the Secretary of the 'Nadigar sangam' .He floated the political party DMDK in 2005 at Madurai.He was elected to TN Assembly from Virudaachalam constitiuency.He has huge fan following and in the political arena also he is considered as a force to reckon with.

Vivek the Tamil film actor and Comedian was born in Madurai in 1961.He is a commerce graduate from American college Madurai.He was awarded Padmashri by the government of India for the year 2008 for his contribution to arts.

Comedian Vadivelu was born in Madurai in 1960.Post 2000 he is one among the most popular Comedians in Tamil films and has made a niche for himself in Kollywood.

Director Bala is a Tamil graduate from Madurai American College.Though he has directed just 4 films so far, he has created a niche for himself among Tamil film goers.Out of the 4 films two of his films have won critical acclaims and awards.He was an understudy to reputed Director Balu Mahendra in his earlier days in film industry.

Tamil film Director Ameer was born in Madurai in 1966.His name is Ameer Sultan.For his film career he shortened his name as Ameer.He is also a producer,screen play writer and actor.He is a Tamil activist and was arrested for his protest against Sri Lankan genocide.

NMR subburaman was a renowned freedom fighter from Madurai.He is from the Madurai Sourashtra community.He is popularly known as Madurai Gandhi.He was the Madurai Municipal Chairman and also was elected to Loksabha from Madurai.He was instrumental in establishing Gandhi Museum in Madurai.Union government issued a commemorative stamp in his honour during the centenary year of NMR subburaman.
Famous sports Personalities from Madurai
A. Palanisamy (died November 12, 2007) was a volleyball player from Madurai. He represented India in the Asian Games in early 60's. He hailed from Kallampatti near Melur, in Madurai district. He was nicknamed as 'Black Panther' because of his ferocious attacks in 1962 Asian games held in Jakarta. He was named Asia's No 1 player in 1962. He was the first player to receive the Arjuna Award in 1961 in the volleyball category. He was the coach for Sivaganga district in Tamilnadu before retiring in 1998.

Karuthiah Natarajan, created the national record in the Asian Track and Field meet in Manila, Philippines in 1973, clocking 10.3 seconds in 100 Meters sprint.

Olympian C. Thirugnanadurai from Madurai represented India and participated in the Sydney Olympics 2000 in 4x100 relay.

R.Pandeeswari of Madurai caught the attention of world sports with her impressive performance in the Asian Championship in the 1990's.

N Kannayiram of Madurai (died on 1 January 1996 ) represented the Indian Cricket team that toured West Indies once.But he did not play any match in that tour.He was the 12th man.He was a medium pace bowler.

After Anand, Sashikiran and Ramesh, the fourth Grand Master in Chess from Tamilnadu, Magesh Chandran hails from Madurai.Magesh is currently based in US.Madurai is the chess cradle of Tamilnadu.International Chess Masters Deepan Chakravarthy, Poobesh Anand and International Woman Chess Master Kasturi also hail from Madurai.National deaf and dumb Chess Champion M.K.Alaguraja is also from Madurai.
Budding Talents from Madurai
S.Pragadish Palaniappan, a Std.X student of CEOA Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Madurai, is a budding Tamil Orator.He has delivered more than 100 discourses at this young age.Within a short period he has made a niche for himself.He is at ease in delivering religious discourses and is very much in demand and sought after.He is good at playing violin,guitar and Keyboard also.

Lavinishri aged 8 years,a fourth standard student from Madurai, has become the youngest to qualify the Microsoft Certified Professional examination. She has broken the record held by a 10 year old Pakistani girl who qualified for MCP examination,few years back.Records tumble for Lavinishree right from the age of 3.At the age of 3,she became the Limca Book of World Record Holder for Photgraphic memory.In 2006,she won the National Child award for Exceptional Achievment from the government of India.She was given this award for reciting 1300 Kural couplets.

rsubbu.mdu

January 17th, 2012, 04:16 PM

TVS Group Companies

MANUFACTURING
Axles India Limited
Brakes India Limited
India Nippon Electricals Limited
Irizar TVS (P) Ltd
Lucas-TVS Limited
Lakshmi Auto Components Limited
Sundaram Dynacast Limited
Sundaram-Brake Linings Limited
Sundaram-Clayton Limited
Sundram Fasteners Limited
Sundaram Industries Limited
Sundaram Textiles Limited
TVS Automotive Europe Limited
TVS Cherry Limited
TVS Interconnect Systems Limited
TVS Electronics Limited
TVS Lanka Limited
TVS Srichakra Limited
TVS Motor Co. Ltd.
TVS Sewing Needles Limited
Transenergy Limited
Torsion Products Limited
Turbo Energy Private Limited
Wheels India Limited

Adding few more:

- Harita Seatings sytems
- TVS Rubber

Service industry:
- TVS Logistics Services (A 3PL player and is very different in operations from Southern Roadways)

rsubbu.mdu

January 18th, 2012, 04:40 AM

Remembering Gandhi
http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00894/17YTDISCOVERGANDHI1_894395e.jpg
The Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/kids/article2805120.ece), January 16, 2012

Madurai was chosen to house the Gandhi Museum as Gandhi's life took vital turning points here.

The Gandhi Museum is located in the historic 17 century Tamukkam palace which served as the summer palace of the Nayak dynasty along with a campus of 13 acres. Later it became the Camp Office of the British Judges and the British Collectors.

The central portion built during 1670 has the Nayak Architecture; the southern portion built during 1877 by the Britishers has the Victorian-English architecture and the northern portion built during 1956-59 has the modern Tamil architecture.

The first floor, housing the gallery has different sections. The first section is called “India fights for Freedom” which has 265 photos with descriptions in Tamil and English and portrays the history of our freedom struggle over the period of last 200 years. All the 30 panels were unique.

Relics and replicas

A small collection of handicrafts collected from the four southern states (Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala) are displayed.

The third section, “Visual Biography ” with illustrations in English, Tamil and Hindi gives detailed biographical sketch of the Father of the Nation starting from his Birth in Porbandar to his assassination in the Birla House in about 150 photographs and illustration.

The fourth section is the important “Relics and Replicas” which preserves 14 Relics and 32 replicas of Mahatma Gandhi.

The most important relic is the blood stained dhoti along with a pair of wooden chappals, leather chappals, spectacles, silken shawl used while attending the Second Round Table Conference in London, wooden spoon, shawl, and other artefacts.

The replicas give an idea about the simple life style of Gandhi (simple living and high thinking). The eco-friendly Mahatma had used a wooden spoon (renewable resource).

He had also used lime stone to wash his body instead of soap; and hand spun clothes.

Letter box

There are many letters and documents and books. A letter to Adolf Hitler (asking him to stop his brutalities); a diplomatic letter to the American President Franklin Roosevelt; the Tamil rendering on revolutionary poet Subramania Bharathi, his signature in Tamil. Few mural paintings can be seen on the walls.

The Museum campus also has Bapu Kutir which is an exact replica of Gandhiji's Sevagram hut where he lived from 1936 to 1946 in Wardha which was designed by his Irish disciple, Mira Behn.

The Sacred Ash Memorial or the Peace Park which is recently renovated contains a small portion of Gandhiji's sacred ash.

The Library has a collection of 30,000 books and micro films. Research and Educational activities programmes propagate his ideals by publications, conducting seminars, and trainings.

The Institute of Gandhian Studies and Research (IGSR), an approved educational institution of Madurai Kamaraj University which conducts courses on Gandhian Thought, Inter-faith Relations, Value Education and Yoga is located within the campus. The Museum also houses a Guest House, Open Air Theatre, Yoga Centre and Kumarappa Kutil.

Symbolic stand

Gandhi Memorial Museum, Madurai is one of its kind in South India. This historical monument was set up after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Senior leaders, under the chairmanship of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, gathered and discussed the possibility of establishing a fitting memorial for the Father of the Nation.The team included Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr. J.C. Kumarappa and other luminaries. The team decided to establish Gandhi Museums -North-New Delhi; East-Calcutta and Patna; West-Bombay and Ahmedabad), one for the southern region could not be immediately decided. But the choice of Madurai became unanimous because Madurai was not only an ancient historic city and the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu but also it is closely associated with Gandhiji and the freedom movement.

During his life-time Gandhi visited Madurai five times: in 1919, 1921, 1927, 1934 and in 1946. The second visit made during 1921 for three days from September 20, 21 and 22 was significant. It was here in Madurai on the mid-night of September 22, 1921; that Gandhiji removed his Gujarati attire and took a Tamilian's dhoti measuring four lengths (four mulam) and cut that piece into two and began wearing it. This took place at 251-A, West Masi Street, Madurai.

rsubbu.mdu

January 18th, 2012, 04:46 AM

Namma Madurai: History in bits and pieces

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00770/01MP_MAMPTB_NAMMA1_770009f.jpg

The Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2414973.ece), August 31, 2011

Kallikudi is perhaps one of the villages that failed to record its antiquity. Except for the inscriptions, mostly misplaced during repair work, found at the Kulasekera Perumal Temple, the village has a very little of recorded history. The presence of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu temples show both Saivaites and Vaishnavites lived here.

The 900-years-old Kulasekera Perumal Temple has sanctum sanctorum and mahamandap. Vagaries of nature and human neglect has taken away the ceiling of the mandap. The original idols of Lord Vishnu with his consort Sridevi are left uncared in the open mandap. According to villagers, idols of Lord Vishnu, Boodevi and Sri Devi that are found inside the sanctum sanctorum were added later. The peepul tree has sent its roots deep into the wall damaging the temple further.

The right side wall holds the history in bits and pieces in the form of inscriptions belonging to 12th century A.D. According to the inscriptions, the original name of the village is ‘Porpadevi Chathurvedi Mangalam, which was once a flourishing Brahminical settlement under the geographical division of Sengudi Naadu.

The deity is known as ‘Puravu vari vinnakar.' Going by its name, probably, revenue officials might have had constructed the temple, says C.Shanthalingam, a retired Archaeological officer.

Another inscription has information about the presence of ‘Brahminical sabha' that undertook welfare activities of the village and temple. Besides, the village had five water tanks namely – Periyakulam alias Vikaramapandya Pereri, Thirumalinsolai Pereri, Kumaranarayana Pereri, Govindaneri and Rajasingha Pereri.

It also parts with information about the presence of Meenakshi Amman Endowment that constructed a ‘chatram' for the benefit of travelers in the middle of 16th century A.D.

According to history, Vittalaraya, cousin of Sadasivaraya, a Vijayanagara ruler, marched towards south to subdue king of Travancore, who had been threatening Pandya chieftains. As Kallikudi was an important village, the king ordered a construction of a chatram, which is now in a dilapidated condition.

The Shiva temple is known as Meenakshi Chokkanathar Temple. “Probably, this might be the impact of the main temple. A separate shrine was constructed for Goddess Meenakshi all over the Pandya country during this period” says Shanthalingam.

The temple remains intact with separate shrines for Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Shiva. Besides, the temple has the deities of Lord Vinayaka, Lord Shanmuga with his six faces sitting on a peacock, Lord Bairava and Lord Surya. The empty niches reflect the later Pandya architectural style.

Surprisingly, the Shiva temple has a stucco figure on the northern wall resembling Lord Buddha or Lord Mahavira. “This figurine might be a saint doing penance in the yoga posture and do not rush to conclusions,” says Shanthalingam.

The huge temple has only one inscription belonging to British period. It is a caution notice served by the then Collector of Madurai to Zamindar of Pavali, who ill treated the residents of Kallikudi.

Now, P.Sundara Mahalingam and K.Pitchai Pandi maintain the Siva temple as a service. Pitchaipandi, 70, gives details about the temple history and festivals celebrated. “Except for special occasions, Brahmins hesitate to come to the temple as we could not pay them their salary,” says Sundara Mahalingam, who performs pujas regularly. ‘Anna abishekam' is performed on full-moon day during the Tamil month Aippasi besides the regular ‘prathosha' pujas.

madurakarenda

January 18th, 2012, 04:56 AM

Nice postings from most of our forumers mainly Gilli and rsubbu :) Nice that some less trodden places are also coming to light by this thread

rsubbu.mdu

January 18th, 2012, 05:02 AM

Was not sure where to post this article, hence chose to post in this thread. It's on a tailor who works at Pudu Mandapam who has been quoted in tourist guide books in French, Itlay, German etc. Very interesting read.
------------------------
Made to measure
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2010/06/17/images/2010061750170201.jpg
Source: The Hindu (http://www.hindu.com/mp/2010/06/17/stories/2010061750170200.htm)

I bet, you will never be able to guess Basher's French, Italian and German connection.

At 57, he sits in a small cramped shop started by his father, Khader Moideen, in 1938 inside ‘Pudumandapam'. His job is to continuously cut yarns of clothes into various shapes, sizes and designs.

Wearing a baniyan and lungi, Basher remains bent most of the time over his cloth cutting table. With a tailor's chalk in hand, the measuring tape around his neck, his eyes and mind remain focused on the fabric in front of him.

He looks up only at the call of a customer, who come to him from far and near to get their garments stitched by him specifically.

“I offer individual clothing to individual people which expresses their style,” he says in between his snipping scissors.

But such is his reputation for giving perfectly customized fitting that his customers return greatly happy or send new people searching for him in crowded Pudumandapam holding a copy of “Le Guide Routard – Inde de sud”.

Interesting

And Basher tells this small interesting story of his life that made him famous as owner of “Baaisy Tailor & Le Boutique”.

In 1999, a French reporter from the above mentioned guide book of France with a chapter on India, hit Basher's shop for some tailoring work. He was so impressed not only by Basher's custom clothing but even his honesty because he did not over-charge from a foreigner and sincerity for delivering the stitched items to his hotel at the appointed but an unearthly hour within 10 hours of placing the order.

The French tourist also fell in love with Basher's small kiosk selling all handicraft items, bags (the popular ‘surukkupais'), strolls, scarves, cushion covers etc. He went back and included Basher's shop in the French guide book with a small description and location.

Basher has remained in these pages for the past one decade.

“He could not pronounce my name properly as he had difficulty in saying ‘r', so I became ‘Baaisy' for him and that's the way he named by shop in the book and I too changed the name board here,” he says pointing to the green board on the top.

The guide book has been translated in German and Italian too and that is how Basher gets his continuous stream of clients from these countries.

Versatile

He cuts and stitches any dress in demand, from formal suits for men to informal kurta-pyjamas and daily wear trousers and shirts. And for women, from short kurtis to long kurtas and salwar or churidar sets, elastic pyjamas, short tops. The customer just has to explain to Basher what he or she wants and how.

“The fit is the most important issue for any tailor. Everyone's body is different, some have longer arms or a longer upper body which needs to be perceived properly. The level of customisation you can give to the garment has no limit,” he explains.

“I have been in tailoring business for almost four decades. My father trained me. But I am not sure what really attracts people to me,” he says humbly. Perhaps he is one of the edgier tailors in the trade, less conservative than others and yet as committed to making quality suits, jackets and trousers.

He says his business is sustainable. His father started by paying a monthly rent of Rs.1.50 to the Temple administration for the space inside Pudumandapam. Today, he pays Rs.300 a month and earns on an average Rs.500 a day.

“I basically operate on my own. I have three sewing machines and three people to help me now. I don't do any more stitching, only cutting job. My charges are very reasonable,” he shares.

From Rs.90 to Rs.250, Basher charges depending on the item stitched and fabric used. His niche customers are a demanding lot and can easily take their money elsewhere. But the fact that so many choose to keep their custom with Basher is testament to the reliable and consistent service he offers.

On a regular day, he works from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and well past midnight when time is premium. “There is lot of competition and I can neither afford to miss deadline or charge more,” he says. His small shop works as trial room with a curtain drawn. If any alterations are needed, he does them on-the-spot. “It is perhaps this service which works in my favour,” he smiles.

There's an old expression that a tailor doesn't need to fit just the body, but also the mind and this is very true of Basher. Or why else 120 of the 200-odd tailors left from yesteryears would unhesitantly show you to “shop no.128”. They are fully aware and proud that Basher has brought them on the international hemline.

rsubbu.mdu

January 18th, 2012, 05:07 AM

Nice postings from most of our forumers mainly Gilli and rsubbu :) Nice that some less trodden places are also coming to light by this thread

Thanks for your words MK, Madurai is a city with very long history and is one of very few cities in the world which are still holding on to their tag of "prominent places" over the last 2,000 years having seen many ups and downs and almost conditions of total destruction. It always gives me great pleasure to know more about Madurai and every time i am more fascinated and proud the more i come to know.

Any idea what's the status of Pudumandapam fillip that Mr.Sagayam had ordered. Are they eviciting all shops from the mantap or whats the current plan ?

madurakarenda

January 18th, 2012, 05:14 AM

Thanks for your words MK, Madurai is a city with very long history and is one of very few cities in the world which are still holding on to their tag of "prominent places" over the last 2,000 years having seen many ups and downs and almost conditions of total destruction. It always gives me great pleasure to know more about Madurai and every time i am more fascinated and proud the more i come to know.

Any idea what's the status of Pudumandapam fillip that Mr.Sagayam had ordered. Are they eviciting all shops from the mantap or whats the current plan ?

I don't know about their relocation rsubbu, but I noticed a big construction (more or less the ground sprawl size of the pudhumandapam) near the very pudhumandapam. This site was used as a car parking by hajeemoosa all these days and i suppose that to be the place of the shopping complex kind where the shops from pudhumandapam will be given place for their business.

Madurai gilli

January 18th, 2012, 05:49 AM

^^ The nes Construction is nothing but the Kunnathur choultry planned before to shift Pudumandapam shops and utilise Pudumandapam as a museum..:)

Good to see the Choultry construction works are in good progress..!!

rsubbu.mdu

January 18th, 2012, 07:00 AM

Some paintings depicting the old shades of Madurai:

Source : http://www.europeana.eu/

http://ogimages.bl.uk/images/019/019XZZ000004322U00013000[SVC2].jpg

Description: Plate 13 from the second set of Thomas and William Daniell's 'Oriental Scenery.' This view shows one of the vaulted side halls that opens onto the great court in the middle of the complex on the north-east side of the Swarga Vilasa or Celestial Pavilion, the Palace built by Tirumal Nayak in 1636.

http://ogimages.bl.uk/images/019/019XZZ000004322U00014000[SVC2].jpg

Description: Plate14 from the second set of Thomas and William Daniell's 'Oriental Scenery'. Madurai was capital of the Nayaka dynasty, which ruled the southern-most part of the Tamil area in the 16th and 17th centuries. This stone pavilion was built by Tirumala Nayak, the most famous of the Madurai rulers, on the east side of the Fort and was used during religious festivals. This view particularly attracted Europeans as the motif of the pavilion was later reproduced on Staffordshire-ware and on French wallpapers.

http://ogimages.bl.uk/images/019/019XZZ000004322U00015000[SVC2].jpg

Description: Plate 15 from the second set of Thomas and William Daniell's 'Oriental Scenery.' The Svarga Vilas or 'Celestial Pavilion' of Tirumala Nayak's Palace at Madurai was built in 1636. The pointed ceiling supported by stone ribs is held up by massive circular columns topped by piers and linked by pointed scallopped arches, with an arcaded gallery opening into the nave above the side aisles. The hall was in a state of disrepair at the time of the artists' visit who deplored that it '...is at present of little more use than affording shelter to cattle'. The hall was later used by the British as government offices and law courts, and fully restored in 1871-82..

http://ogimages.bl.uk/images/019/019XZZ000004322U00016000[SVC2].jpg

Description: Plate 16 from the second set of Thomas and William Daniell's 'Oriental Scenery.' The city of Madurai is dominated by the temple complex dedicated to Minakshi, the patron goddess. It is like a self-contained city with courtyards, pillared halls and shrines. The four gateway or gopuras of the temple were added in the 17th Century during the Nayaka dynasty. They are elaborately decorated with figures of divinities and celestial beings, monsters faces and animals, all covered in polychrome plasterwork.

http://ogimages.bl.uk/images/019/019XZZ000004322U00017000[SVC2].jpg

Description: Plate 17 from the second set of Thomas and William Daniell's 'Oriental Scenery.' The Daniells commented about the state in which they found the palace of Tirumala Nayaka at Madurai, 'The ruins of the palace at Madura show evident marks of its former grandeur; many of the buildings appear to have suffered much by time, and not inconsiderably... by the destructive effects of war; a few, however, are sufficiently in repair to be converted into use by the garrison, as granaries, store-houses, powder magazines'.

http://ogimages.bl.uk/images/019/019XZZ000004322U00018000[SVC2].jpg

Description: Plate18 from the second set of Thomas and William Daniell's 'Oriental Scenery'. The Pudu Mandapa is outside the east gate of the Minakshi temple at Madurai. Built by Tirumala Nayak in 1635 as a choultry or reception hall for pilgrims, it is a long hall with piers carved with magnificent yalis (mythical animals), and portrait sculptures of the Nayaka rulers and their ministers. The projecting brackets supporting the ceiling are carved in the form of seated lions.The figures in the centre are paying 'divine honours', as Daniell calls it, to the carved images of Tirumala Nayaka and three of his wives.

http://ogimages.bl.uk/images/019/019PZZ000000759U00000000[SVC2].jpg

Description: Uncoloured aquatint by J. Wells after a drawing on the spot by Capt. Trapaud, part of a set of his twenty views published London in 1788, of the ruins of the Palace at Madurai from the north-east.In the 16th century Madurai was an independent kingdom under the Nayakas. Tirumala Nayaka (1623-60), the most important rulers of that dynasty, was an ambitious builder. He patronised the construction of the imposing Minakshi Sundareshvara Temple complex which dominates the centre of the town. His Palace, built in 1636, is situated south-east of the temple. Only two sections of the palace survive, the Dance Hall and the Durbar Hall as the rest of the palace was dismantled between 1662 and 1682 when the capital was transferred to Trichinopoly. A rectangular courtyard surrounded by arcades precedes ...

http://ogimages.bl.uk/images/019/019PZZ000000971U00000000[SVC2].jpg

Description: Lithograph of the The Teppakulam tank at Madurai by L.H. Rudder after the original drawing by Prince Aleksandr Mikhailovich Saltuikov of 1841 and dated 1848.The temple city of Madurai is dominated by the imposing complex of Minakshi Sundareshvara, one of the major architectural achievements of the Nayaka period. The construction of this temple was made possible by the magnificence of Tirumala Nayak (1623-1659). The rectangular precinct covers six hectares and has eleven huge towers and four entrance gopurams. Inside this enclosure there are columned mandapas, tanks, shrines and the two temples of Shiva and Minakshi. Teppakulam is situated at the eastern end of the town, about two miles from the temple. It is a large rectangular tank with an island in the middle with a small temple and pavi...

Madurai gilli

January 18th, 2012, 12:09 PM

Good info, really Gilli. COuld I get more info related to the TVS transport/ others in Madurai. Old Vintage photos, if available, are more use.
The Madurai based BUsiness conglomerate has turned 100 years of business this 2012, and am planning for a presentation on the group.

Thanks in advance

Hope this blog will help you to some extent :

http://sriramv.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/advertising-in-madras/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVS_Group

http://www.tvsgroup.com/pages/group.htm

Madurai gilli

January 18th, 2012, 12:11 PM

^^Excellent digging subbu sir..! :)

kannan infratech

January 18th, 2012, 12:53 PM

Bell Towers between Madurai & Srivilliputtur

Bell Tower

There are few remaining mandapams between Madurai and Srivilliputhur (75kms), on Madurai â€“ Tenkasi highway. This mandapam is said to be served as a bell tower during Thirumalai Naicker's rule at Madurai.

Legend has it that, King Thirumalai Naicker is very religious and showed reverence to Aandaal Temple at Srivilliputhur. He is known to have his lunch only after the “Uchi Kaala Poojai” (pooja at noon) performed at Aandaal Temple at Srivilliputhur, about 75Kms from Madurai.

It is interesting to know how the news travelled 75 Kms everyday in time to the king in those days. When the pooja is performed, the big bronze bell at the temple will toll. It can be heard for about 5Kms. So the king built mandapams all the way from Madurai to Srivilliputhur with less than 5Km intervals.

When the bell is heard at the first mandapam, the person-in-charge there will toll a similar bell installed at the mandapam, which can be heard at the second mandapam, which in turn strike their own bell. The bell sound is thus carried over all the way to Madurai within a few minutes.

Though there were no signs of a pedestal for a bell in this mandapam, I inclined to believe the story. It is said that he built them bigger so the public who usually travel on foot can take rest in these mandapams.

The mandapams are now unsafe to venture in. But the beauty of the art works were too valuable to loose. They lie just on the edge of the highway near Srivilliputhur, but somehow was left unmaintained. History & architecture casually lying by the road side.

kannan infratech

January 18th, 2012, 01:01 PM

Videos on Srivilliputtur Gopuram & Temple:

http://wn.com/SRIVILLIPUTTUR

http://www.srivilliputtur.co.in/index.html

kannan infratech

January 18th, 2012, 01:07 PM

Pal Kova – Best you can find
Pal Kova or Palkhoa (Pronounced Paal Goa) brings to mind Srivilliputhur to those who have tasted this culinary masterpiece from this tiny place in Southern Tamil Nadu. Situated in Virudhunagar District on the way to Tenkasi, Srivilliputhur is a temple town, famous for its Andal Temple.

But for foodies, its much more famous for the famous Pal Kova. The Pal Kova is a sweet dish made from milk, sugar & ghee. Surprisingly its cheap. If you buy it in Srivilliputhur that is.
The milk from the region is of very high quality & this contributes to the taste.

The Pal Kova is usually slightly yellowish in colour & is semi solid in texture. It is usually sold wrapped in tiny packets. A lot of businesses in Srivilliputhur make their living from selling the Pal Kova. The Pal Kova is so famous across Tamil Nadu, that when Five Star hotels are working on a Tamil Nadu theme, the Pal Kova finds its place among the Tirunelveli halwa, Virudhunagar Kothu Parotta & the Madurai Jigarthanda to name a few.

Of course, it would be cheaper to travel to Srivilliputhur & taste the authentic Pal Kova than to have it from a Five Star Hotel. The Pal Kova is ubiquitous in Srivilliputhur. Be it the bus stand, the market or on the roadside, you are bound to find hawkers selling packets of various sizes. Its prized reasonably from about Rs.2 depending on the quantity. In fact, enterprising hawkers even board trains passing through Srivilliputhur and sell the Pal Kova. The sweet is also available in most towns neighbouring Srivilliputhur.

A characteristic shared by the Pal Kova with the Tirunelveli Halwa is that it melts in the mouth. The texture is slightly grainy but it is splendid nonetheless. However, as with all good things, its fattening and its best taken occasionally.

If you ever happen to be passing through Srivilliputhur, don’t forget to buy a packet of Pal Kova. It makes a terrific dessert after a heavy meal.

Cheers!

rsubbu.mdu

January 18th, 2012, 02:44 PM

Pal Kova – Best you can find
Pal Kova or Palkhoa (Pronounced Paal Goa) brings to mind Srivilliputhur !

The best Pal-kova that i have ever tasted is the one from Srivi - from the shop "Sri Venkateswara Store" (located to the left side of the Andal temple Gopura entrance). Just like the iruttu kadai (not to that scale though), you need to many a times wait for him to bring the fresh lot as and what ever comes to the shop will get over in no time.

One more lesser known halwa store in Nellail district is the "Purathana Krishna Lala Kadai" located opposite to the temple in Tenkasi. The store is 100+ years old and the halwa made here has a unique taste and is a good competitior to the Iruttu Kadai.

Finally, apologize for the off topic post. Could not resist being a foodie...

Madurai gilli

January 18th, 2012, 05:57 PM

மதுரை : மதுரை மீனாட்சி அம்மன் கோயிலுக்குட்பட்ட திருவாதவூர் வேதநாயகி திருமறைநாதசுவாமி கோயிலில் கும்பாபிஷேக பணிகள், ரூ.25 லட்சத்தில் பிப்ரவரியில் துவங்குகின்றன."திருவாரூர் தேர் அழகும், திருவாதவூர் கொடுங்கையழகும்' என்ற சொல்லுக்கு ஏற்ப, இக்கோயிலின் பழமையான 16 கால் கல்மண்டபத்தில், அழகிய வேலைபாடுகளுடன் கொடுங்கை(சன் ஷேடு) வடிவமைக்க பட்டுள்ளது. வைகாசி திருவிழாவில், இம்மண்டபத்தில் நடராஜர் எழுந்தருளுவார். தற்போது இம்மண்டபம் சேதமடைந்துள்ளது. கோயில் வளாகத்தில் உள்ள வாயுதீர்த்தம், பிரம்ம தீர்த்தம் பயன்படுத்த முடியாத அளவு மோசமாக உள்ளது.

கோயில் நிர்வாக அதிகாரிகள் கூறியதாவது : அடுத்தமாதம் கும்பாபிஷேக பணிகள் துவங்குகிறது. ராஜகோபுரத்திற்கு ரூ.7 லட்சம், கோயில் மேல்தளத்தில் தட்டு ஓடுகள் அமைப்பது, வளாகத்தில் பொற்றாமரைக்குளத்தில் பெயர்த்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட கருங்கற்களை பதிப்பது உட்பட மொத்தம் ரூ.25 லட்சம் செலவில் திருப்பணிகள் நடக்கின்றன. இதற்காக உபயதாரர்களை அணுகி வருகிறோம், என்றனர்.

http://www.dinamalar.com/district_detail.asp?id=387861

rsubbu.mdu

January 18th, 2012, 06:00 PM

Deleted

rsubbu.mdu

January 18th, 2012, 06:01 PM

Thiruvathavur temple gets face-lift worth Rs.25 Crores

Gilli, its Rs 25 lacs as per the article.

rsubbu.mdu

January 19th, 2012, 04:04 AM

Another wing of TVS - Sundaram Motors

Sundaram Motors, is a division of T V Sundram Iyengar & Sons Ltd., and is an authorized dealer for Honda cars operating as Sundaram Honda.

T V Sundram Iyengar & Sons Ltd., Madurai, the holding company of the TVS group, began passenger bus transport operations in 1911. Over the past nine decades, the TVS group ventured into vehicle sales and service, spare parts distribution, manufacture of automobile components, two wheelers, computer peripherals including printers, hire purchase financing, leasing apart from general insurance. The TVS group comprises of 45 companies with over 30,000 employees and a group turnover exceeding US$ 4 billion.

In 1929, the firm extended its wings as an exclusive dealer at Madurai for General Motors India Limited. The company set up a business platform for the foreign partner to bring the world�s best cars to the Indian space viz., Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Buick, Cadillac, Vauxhall, Opel cars and Bedford commercial vehicles.

After the exit of General Motors from India in 1954, due to import restrictions TVS signed a dealership agreement with Premier Automobiles Limited, Bombay for selling Fiat, Plymouth cars and Fargo trucks. The company grew from strength to strength to become the largest dealer for motor vehicles in South India, establishing a large network of service workshops which set the benchmark for excellence in customer care.

The group also set up initiatives for the manufacture of automotive components and established several large companies in partnership with global industrial giants such as Dunlop, Lucas Industries, Girling and Clayton Dewandre in the early 60's.

The group also diversified into Tyre Retreading and Parcel Service and soon consolidated its leadership position in these ventures.

In 1945, a vehicle dealership for handling cars and commercial vehicles was set up in Madras and thus Sundaram Motors was born.

Sundaram Motors is a division of TVS & Sons Madurai, Sundaram Motors has been in the automobile industry for over six decades and has a strong association with reputed automobile vehicle manufacturers and component suppliers. Sundaram Motors� turnover exceeds Rs. 1670 crores (USD 397 million) for the year ended March 31, 2009, and is involved in sales and service of cars, commercial vehicles apart from after market parts distribution. Sundaram Motors are dealers for Honda, Mercedes Benz and Chevrolet cars and are one of the largest dealers for Ashok Leyland commercial vehicles in India. The division has 11 dealerships for cars, 12 dealerships for commercial vehicles and a network of 29 parts distribution outlets.

Over time, the ambitious expansion of the parts distribution business has firmly established Sundaram Motors as one of the largest distributors of automobile components manufactured by some of the most prominent companies in the automobile ancillary industry in India. The network caters to over 6000 retailers in the country.

Source:http://www.sundarammotors.com/honda/about.html

rsubbu.mdu

January 19th, 2012, 04:07 AM

T.V Sundaram Iyengar

Born On: 1877
Born In: Thirunelveli, Madras Presidency, British India
Died On: April 28, 1955
Career: Industrialist

T.V. Sundaram Iyengar was a man of principles and a true visionary. During the 1930's, when riding an automobile was still a distant dream for many Indians, he had the vision to start the first ever rural bus service in Madurai. Business was not only a passion for Sundaram Iyengar, but also a service to the common man. His innovative and visionary ideas, hard work and determination formed the base for 'T.V Sundaram Iyengar and Sons Group of Companies', one of India's largest industrial conglomerates. The group started by Iyengar extended its services to motor industry, motor services and finances in the following years. No wonder, today he is regarded as one of the most successful industrialists of his time. T.V Sundaram Iyengar was also a forward thinker and a stringent follower of Gandhian philosophies. Know all about his life, feats and deeds in the write-up below.

Early Life

T.V Sundaram Iyengar was born in 1877 in Thirukkurungudi in Thirunelveli district in present day Tamil Nadu (then a part of Madras Presidency). Sundaram Iyengar started his career as a lawyer after which he moved on to work for Indian railways and later in a bank.

Career

As Sundaram Iyengar always had a passion for business, he left his job and ventured into motor transport industry. In 1912, he started the first bus service in the city of Madurai. In 1923, he established the T.V Sundaram Iyengar and Sons Group of Companies, which paved way for the origin of the 'TVS Group'. During the Second World War, when Madras Presidency faced huge petrol scarcity, he went on to design and start TVS Gas Plant in order to meet the demands of the people. He also started factories for rubber retreading besides Madras Auto Service Limited and Sundaram Motors Limited. Among these, Madras Auto Service Limited was the largest distributor of General Motors in 1950's.

Thus, a business, which started as a passion of a single man, evolved into a flourishing family business. Four distinct branches began to work under the name 'TVS'. TVS group is currently the largest automobile distribution company in India. It enjoys a turnover of 40, 000 million. The group functions in varied fields like automotive component manufacturing, automotive dealerships, electronics and finances and employs 40, 000 people. They are also into IT solutions and services.

Apart from being an industrialist, T.V Sundaram Iyengar was a patron of art and a forward thinker. Under the auspice of Mahatma Gandhi, he got his teenage daughter, who was a widow, remarried. Rajaji, a senior statesman of Congress heaved praise on Sundaram Iyengar for the gesture of announcing retirement and passing on the business to his children. T.V Sundaram has five sons and three daughters and the business was shared by the male members of the family. T.S Santhanam, the youngest son of T.V Sundaram is the founder of 'Sundaram Finance' and is regarded as the 'Father of Truck Finance Industry' in India.

Contributions

T.V Sundaram was the one who laid the foundation for the motor transport industry in Southern India. He is credited for starting Madurai's first bus service. During Second World War, when people faced scarcity of petrol, he designed and initiated TVS Gas Plant. Some of the companies that come under TVS group are:
Wheels India
Brakes India
Sundaram Fasteners
TVS InfoTech
TVS Motor Company
ZF Electronics TVS (India) Private Limited
Sundaram Finance
Turbo Energy Limited
Axles India
Sundaram Clayton
Lucas TVS
Sundaram Motors
Sundaram Brake Linings
TVS Logistics
TVS Southern Roadways LTD
Sundaram Hydraulics Limited
Legacy
The history of TV Sundaram Iyengar and Sons group of companies can be traced back to Thirukurungudi Venkagaruswamy Sundaram Iyengar who quit his lucrative careers in railways and started his own business. He initiated the first bus service in Madurai and consolidated their presence in the transportation business in a period when such a kind of business was nowhere heard of, especially in Southern India.

Death

Sundaram Iyengar passed away on April 28, 1955 at his residence in Kodaikkanal at the age of 78.

Timeline

1877: T.V. Sundaram Iyengar was born in Thirunelveli in Madras Presidency.
1911: He founded T.V. Sundaram Iyengar and Sons Group of Companies founded by T.V Sundaram.
1923: T.V Sundaram established the T.V. Sundaram Iyengar and Sons Group of Companies which paved the way for the TVS Group.
1955: T.V. Sundaram Iyengar passed away at his residence in Kodaikkanal at the age of 78.

Source (http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-heroes/thirukurungudi-venkagaruswamy-sundaram-iyengar.html)

rsubbu.mdu

January 19th, 2012, 04:10 AM

Cruise control - TVS group has a steady approach to growth
Source (http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/tvs-group-is-among-the-100-year-old-companies/1/16463.html)

http://media2.intoday.in/btmt/images/stories/tvsundaramiyengar325_062111023950.jpg

In the early 1930s, selling cars to rich zamindars in southern Tamil Nadu was not easy. They preferred horse-drawn carts. T.V. Sundaram Iyengar & Sons, or TVS & Sons, which had bagged a General Motors dealership, decided to drive its message home quite literally. A Chevrolet car, complete with chauffeur, would be sent to a zamindar's house, with a request that he use the car for a week. Over the next seven days, the family would often get used to the comfort and status the car gave them, and end up buying one. The company also invited the local elite to arrive in their horse-drawn carts and drive out in a car. Such precursors of the exchange offer and the test drive were not the only things TVS & Sons pioneered. After the car was sold, the dealership kept a record of its performance, periodically interacted with old customers and ensured complaints were addressed in 24 hours. In the 1940s, it even launched a mobile service facility to go to the customer's doorstep.

TVS, established in Madurai in 1911, did not cater only to the rich. Indeed, its first business, started in 1912, was a rural transport service. TVS went the extra mile to ensure buses ran on time. One measure to minimise delays was to fit a special vehicle with heavy-duty magnets underneath. The magnets would pick up nails and bits of horseshoe, left behind by horses and bullocks along the route, and reduce the risk of delays due to punctures.

http://media2.intoday.in/btmt/images/stories//June2011/tvsgroupmobileservice_062111022835.jpg
Suresh Krishna (now chairman, Sundram Fasteners), with the new mobile service van in 1964

A century later, customer satisfaction and employee welfare continue to be the cornerstone of the group, which is now run by T.V.S. Iyengar's great-grandsons. TVS & Sons is the holding company of the group, and still runs the group's dealership and spare parts distribution businesses.

Each generation of the family has left its mark on the group, which is now a $4-billion (Rs 17,936 crore) conglomerate that makes two- and threewheelers and car parts, and has a strong presence in logistics and financial services. Founder T.V.S. Iyengar, a lawyer, gave up two comfortable jobs - in Indian Railways and at a bank - to pursue his entrepreneurial passion. He laid the foundation of the company both in terms of the business and the values that guide the group.

The group, which until 1960 was engaged in services - rural transport, car dealership, auto parts distribution, vehicle insurance, and auto finance - ventured into manufacturing with the second generation, consisting of T.S. Rajam, T.S. Krishna, T.S. Srinivasan and T.S. Santhanam. "We began talking to joint venture partners in 1959 to make auto components," says H. Lakshmanan, Executive Director of Sundaram Clayton, who has been with the group for 58 years (having joined in 1953 at age 20). "Wheels India was set up in 1960, followed by Sundaram Clayton, Brakes India and Lucas TVS."

The third generation focused on quality management. The first three Indian companies to win the prestigious Deming prize, awarded by the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers, were from the TVS group.

"Total quality management reinforced TVS values of trust, loyalty and quality, and employees could relate to it easily," says Venu Srinivasan, chairman and managing director of TVS Motor. He and his cousins also made their business global. TVS Motor set up a factory in Indonesia, Sundram Fasteners started one in China, and they bought companies in Germany and the UK. The fourth generation, which is taking over now, will be tested on its ability to consolidate and to fuel growth.

The group has sometimes been called conservative, for sticking to the automotive space and passing up opportunities elsewhere. "We are not after money," says Suresh Krishna, Chairman and Managing Director of Sundram Fasteners. "Our dharma is to... add value to the nation and to the stakeholders in it." Perhaps it is this approach that has kept the group free from controversy.

ESTABLISHED IN 1911

1911: TVS & Sons is established in Madurai, Tamil Nadu

1912: The company starts its first business, a rural bus service

1919: TVS forays into vehicle sales, service and spare parts. A mangled car sent for servicing

1929: Bags dealership for General Motors

1943: The company designs a unique plant that runs on charcoal gas instead of petrol

1954: Sundaram Finance is floated to finance buses and trucks

1960: The group sets up Wheels India in Chennai, and starts making car parts

1969: The transport service is nationalised

1996: The group enters the logistics business. By 2004, it would be hived off as a separate company

2011: At age 100, the TVS group consists of 40-odd companies, with more than 25,000 employees and aggregate revenues of over $4 billion

Madurai gilli

January 20th, 2012, 09:32 AM

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/402850_172258126213468_100002878457247_237904_145048641_n.jpg

Source : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan in FB

Madurai gilli

January 20th, 2012, 09:34 AM

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/399452_172258369546777_100002878457247_237906_729217079_n.jpg

Source : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan in FB

Madurai gilli

January 20th, 2012, 09:37 AM

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/396998_172259186213362_100002878457247_237909_346872706_n.jpg

Source : Madurakaran Karthikeyan in FB

madurakarenda

January 20th, 2012, 09:39 AM

Nice shares gilli :) :cheeers:

And could anybody shed details of the original temple plan? I came across some article in 'Dinamalar' I hope saying that the outer entrance of the temple was planned near the Nandhi idol (the big new one near Pudhumandapam) and one could find the entrance kinda thing near it where some people who don't know its value has put up very small roadside ready made shops and the ruler who planned it died miserably and the plan went just like that! If it was done, imagine the size of our Wonder!! :)

Madurai gilli

January 20th, 2012, 09:39 AM

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/405499_172259696213311_100002878457247_237910_1171338942_n.jpg

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/406400_172260292879918_100002878457247_237913_1764545311_n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/407044_172261096213171_100002878457247_237915_990537629_n.jpg

Source : Madurakaran Karthikeyan in FB

Madurai gilli

January 20th, 2012, 09:41 AM

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/407804_172261666213114_100002878457247_237920_549806201_n.jpg

Source : Karthikeyan in FB

Madurai gilli

January 20th, 2012, 09:42 AM

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/395740_172261932879754_100002878457247_237921_227841847_n.jpg

Madurai gilli

January 20th, 2012, 09:44 AM

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/397058_172263386212942_100002878457247_237928_1587573377_n.jpg

Source : Karthikeyan in FB

Madurai gilli

January 20th, 2012, 09:45 AM

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/401220_172264022879545_100002878457247_237929_210637076_n.jpg

Source : Karthikeyan - FB.

Madurai gilli

January 20th, 2012, 09:46 AM

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/401270_172264496212831_100002878457247_237936_752590678_n.jpg

Source : K-FB

Madurai gilli

January 20th, 2012, 09:50 AM

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/407604_172264939546120_100002878457247_237937_1495500868_n.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/400911_172265279546086_100002878457247_237940_879222314_n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/409439_172267649545849_100002878457247_237942_485081935_n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/399446_172269189545695_100002878457247_237943_1826228310_n.jpg

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/404237_172270479545566_100002878457247_237944_1353714596_n.jpg

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/399947_172272182878729_100002878457247_237945_2042351898_n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/395405_172273289545285_100002878457247_237948_1846156729_n.jpg

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/397544_172274606211820_100002878457247_237950_433685623_n.jpg

Source : Mardurakaran Karthikeyan in FB

Madurai gilli

January 20th, 2012, 09:53 AM

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/408006_172276736211607_100002878457247_237951_23386998_n.jpg

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/400313_172277952878152_100002878457247_237952_2084151943_n.jpg

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/402419_172279382878009_100002878457247_237953_87629972_n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/400875_172279679544646_100002878457247_237955_1823048260_n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/394926_172280619544552_100002878457247_237957_512125846_n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/407784_172281782877769_100002878457247_237960_289135927_n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/395501_172282026211078_100002878457247_237961_988549349_n.jpg

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/402314_172284422877505_100002878457247_237964_968464266_n.jpg

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/403071_172285109544103_100002878457247_237966_190833170_n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/400334_172285469544067_100002878457247_237969_1502609129_n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/404733_172286086210672_100002878457247_237976_1270477001_n.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/405948_172286579543956_100002878457247_237977_1372579252_n.jpg

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/409530_172289176210363_100002878457247_237985_54952841_n.jpg
Source : Maduraikaran Karthikeyan - FB

Madurai gilli

January 20th, 2012, 09:54 AM

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/404745_172280249544589_100002878457247_237956_1872681074_n.jpg

Source - karthikeyan - FB

Madurai gilli

January 20th, 2012, 09:59 AM

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/397937_172288012877146_100002878457247_237983_1715572056_n.jpg

Source : Madurakaran Karthikeyan - FB

Madurai gilli

January 20th, 2012, 10:00 AM

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/393813_172287869543827_100002878457247_237982_981483907_n.jpg

Source : FB

Madurai gilli

January 20th, 2012, 10:02 AM

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/399504_172287549543859_100002878457247_237981_56531162_n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/397406_172287142877233_100002878457247_237980_1251736831_n.jpg

Source : FB

Madurai gilli

January 20th, 2012, 10:03 AM

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/394993_172284686210812_100002878457247_237965_440978791_n.jpg

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/398714_172280979544516_100002878457247_237958_477390203_n.jpg

Madurai gilli

January 20th, 2012, 10:05 AM

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/396031_172281322877815_100002878457247_237959_1150015239_n.jpg

Source : Madurakaaran Karthikeyan-FB

madurakarenda

January 20th, 2012, 02:52 PM

Nice to see old photos of my hometown :cheers: really rocking!!

Btw, i posted a comment here and it got buried within minutes because of Gilli's hyperactivity here!! :D :jk:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=87726756&postcount=94

Madurai gilli

January 21st, 2012, 03:34 AM

^^............ :lol:

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/404779_330749916957177_100000665134374_1105834_523309501_n.jpg

Source : Muralikrishnan - FB (Guess he is Saileshmurali here)

Madurai gilli

January 21st, 2012, 03:37 AM

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/395450_330750090290493_100000665134374_1105839_715513219_n.jpg

Source : Muralikrishnan - FB

Madurai gilli

January 21st, 2012, 03:38 AM

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/409325_330750156957153_100000665134374_1105840_756765457_n.jpg

Source : Muralikrishnan - FB

Madurai gilli

January 21st, 2012, 03:40 AM

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/404197_330731720292330_100000665134374_1105809_994157030_n.jpg

Source : Muralikrishnan - FB

Madurai gilli

January 21st, 2012, 03:42 AM

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/408885_330730853625750_100000665134374_1105797_632645402_n.jpg

Source : Muralikrishnan - FB

Madurai gilli

January 21st, 2012, 03:43 AM

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/399880_330731176959051_100000665134374_1105801_1765564147_n.jpg

Source : Muralikrishnan - FB

Madurai gilli

January 21st, 2012, 03:47 AM

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/405230_330733000292202_100000665134374_1105811_580313265_n.jpg

Source : Muralikrishnan - FB

^^ 2012 is the 100th year for TVS, who started their innings from Madurai. On behalf of our SSC, we wish the 100th year Cogglomerate to grow further, expand their business in Madurai and bring hallmark to its temple city.

Madurai gilli

January 22nd, 2012, 09:16 AM

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s320x320/407423_172947042811243_100002878457247_238800_372974315_n.jpg

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/403288_172947796144501_100002878457247_238803_641408214_n.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/376371_146243742148240_100002878457247_175280_1706052306_n.jpg

Source : Madurakaran Karthikeyan - FB

Madurai gilli

January 22nd, 2012, 09:21 AM

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/387363_149729491799665_100002878457247_182302_1755850654_n.jpg

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/300440_107377042701577_100002878457247_38677_4044953_n.jpg

Source - Madurakaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

January 22nd, 2012, 09:25 AM

madurakarenda

January 22nd, 2012, 10:22 AM

saileshmurali

January 22nd, 2012, 02:26 PM

http://www.indian-heritage.org/temple/madurai/1000p1.html

Madurai gilli

January 23rd, 2012, 02:39 AM

மதுரை : மதுரையில் நூறாண்டுகளை கடந்து நிற்கும், விளக்குத்தூண் போலீஸ் ஸ்டேஷன் கட்டடத்தை இடிக்கக்கூடாது என, கலை மற்றும் பாரம்பரிய தேசிய அறக்கட்டளை வலியுறுத்தியது. இக்கட்டடம் 9.7.1912ல் போலீஸ் ஸ்டேஷனாக மாற்றப்பட்டது. கட்டடம் 250 ஆண்டுகள் பழமைவாய்ந்ததாக கருதப்படுகிறது. நாயக்கர் காலத்தில் கட்டப்பட்டு, ஆங்கிலேயரால் பராமரிக்கப்பட்டது. வெயில் காலத்தில் குளுமையாக இருக்க ஏதுவாக, மேற்கூரைகள் வடிவமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.

கலை, பராம்பரிய தேசிய அறக்கட்டளைத் தலைவர் அரவிந்த்குமார் சங்கர் கூறியதாவது: மதுரையில் மிகப் பழமையான போலீஸ் ஸ்டேஷன் என்ற பெருமை இக்கட்டடத்திற்கு உண்டு. இதை இடிக்கக்கூடாது. ஒவ்வொரு பாரம்பரியத்தையும் இழந்து கொண்டே வருகிறோம். இந்நிலை நீடித்தால், அடுத்த தலைமுறைக்கு பாரம்பரியத்தை தெரிவிக்க ஒன்றும் இருக்காது. அரசு சார்பில் நடவடிக்கை இல்லை எனில், சட்டரீதியாக காக்கவும் முடிவு செய்வோம், என்றார்.

பாரம்பரியம் மிக்க தொன்மை நகரான மதுரையின் வரலாற்று சின்னங்களை காப்பது நமது கடமை. இதுவே வெளிநாடு என்றால், பாரம்பரிய சின்னங்களை உரியமுறையில் பாதுகாத்து, கட்டணம் வசூலித்து, பொதுமக்களை பார்க்க அனுமதிப்பர். ஆனால் நமது ஊரிலோ, திருமலை நாயக்கர் மகால் போன்ற பாரம்பரிய இடங்களை போதிய அளவு பாதுகாக்காமல், பார்வையாளர்கள் சுவர்களில் கிறுக்கி வைக்கின்றனர். திரைப்பட படப்பிடிப்பு போன்றவற்றிற்கு அனுமதி அளித்து, சுவர்களையும் தூண்களையும் பாழாக்குகின்றனர்.

http://www.dinamalar.com/district_detail.asp?id=391166

rsubbu.mdu

January 24th, 2012, 04:56 PM

^^ Yeah gilli you have posted a similar thing :) Imagine the size of the temple if the roya gopuram had been completed there :) It is incomplete now with pillars kinda thing alone because the ruler who planned it died or something miserable happened

Hi MK,

The ruler who built the unfinished Raya Gopuram was none other than Tirumalai Nayak. Few other Motta gopuras also were his gift to TN. Though people of Madurai recall Tirumalai due to the palace, the finest rulers of Nayak dynasty were Visvanatha Nayak and Krishnappa Nayak and these two rulers were guided by their minister Ariyanatha Nayak.

madurakarenda

January 24th, 2012, 07:10 PM

Hi MK,

The ruler who built the unfinished Raya Gopuram was none other than Tirumalai Nayak. Few other Motta gopuras also were his gift to TN. Though people of Madurai recall Tirumalai due to the palace, the finest rulers of Nayak dynasty were Visvanatha Nayak and Krishnappa Nayak and these two rulers were guided by their minister Ariyanatha Nayak.

Rsubbu, you are rocking by providing historical information :cheers: Can you post articles regarding the same so that it may be useful for many including me?

rsubbu.mdu

January 25th, 2012, 03:43 AM

Rsubbu, you are rocking by providing historical information :cheers: Can you post articles regarding the same so that it may be useful for many including me?

MK,

I very often feel that people of Mdu are not much aware of the history of the city. They just know that we were ruled by Pandya's and Nayak's. They still don't know the contribution of Vijayanagara empire in salvaging Madurai from the Invaders who razed the city to the ground. I have plans to put together a capsule. Currently i am reading a book which has lot of details. I am planninmg a deck with bullets on important events and i will also include the various maps and old photographs shared by you and MG in that. I need more time as iam bit tied up on professional side....

rsubbu.mdu

January 25th, 2012, 03:55 AM

Time for some Rail history now...

http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/4/6/7/5467.1323953305.jpg
January 20, 1989

Remarks: 6 locos, a mix of YP and YG classes, are gathered around the turntable at Madurai. I was just too young to have witnessed scenes like this at home in England, so it was really a wonderful sight for me.

Source (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=384018&nseq=5)

http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/1/6/4/3164.1325296024.jpg
December 21, 1989
Remarks: Metre gauge YG 2-8-2 No 3409 arrives at Silaiman with a morning local from Madurai in 1989. I presume that there are semaphore signals showing their red paint on the other side of the backing boards.
Source (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=385403&nseq=7)

http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/0/6/5/9065.1291487689.jpg
December 20, 1989
Remarks: 6 withdrawn metre gauge locos of YP and YG class are seen in varying stages of scrapping at Madurai shed in 1989.
Source (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=347497&nseq=4)

Madura Coats compound can be seen in the background.

http://www.irfca.org/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=222864&g2_serialNumber=3
Coaling line backstage at the Madurai Steam Loco Shed. January 1997. Weggi.
Source:IRFCA

http://www.irfca.org/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=222860&g2_serialNumber=3
The turntable at Madurai Steam Loco Shed. January 1997. Weggi.
Source:IRFCA

http://www.irfca.org/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=222852&g2_serialNumber=3
View of the Madurai Steam Loco Shed. January 1997. Weggi.
Source:IRFCA

http://www.irfca.org/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=222856&g2_serialNumber=3
Staff hard at work. Madurai Steam Loco Shed. January 1997. Weggi.
Source:IRFCA
---------------------

I had a opportunity of travelling in a Steam Loco driven NMR formation last weekend. It was an experience in itself which can hardly be conveyed through words. Will share those pics in the TN tourism thread shortly.

madurakarenda

January 25th, 2012, 04:52 AM

MK,

I very often feel that people of Mdu are not much aware of the history of the city. They just know that we were ruled by Pandya's and Nayak's. They still don't know the contribution of Vijayanagara empire in salvaging Madurai from the Invaders who razed the city to the ground. I have plans to put together a capsule. Currently i am reading a book which has lot of details. I am planninmg a deck with bullets on important events and i will also include the various maps and old photographs shared by you and MG in that. I need more time as iam bit tied up on professional side....

Yes rsubbu. I have read about invasion of Maalik kapoor and all. The sad part of TN educational system is they give importance to Indian history but not TN history. TN history should be emphasized in school education is what I feel.

rsubbu.mdu

January 25th, 2012, 05:00 AM

Yes rsubbu. I have read about invasion of Maalik kapoor and all. The sad part of TN educational system is they give importance to Indian history but not TN history. TN history should be emphasized in school education is what I feel.

Don't worry MK, not only TN history even Indian history is heavily distorted where heroes are made out of Invaders....:bash:. And few people are called the father of the nation and all giving them too much credit.

One correction, it is "Malik Kafur" the general of Alauddin Khilji.

rsubbu.mdu

January 25th, 2012, 05:07 AM

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/hindux.gif

Of caves and temples inside
May 03, 2008, The Hindu (http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/05/03/stories/2008050350470400.htm)

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/05/03/images/2008050350470402.jpg

No prizes for guessing where Lord Muruga married Devasena as per the legend. Tiruparankundram is the answer, surely known to all.

But the next question is surely difficult. Where he held the public reception with his new bride?

The answer may lies in a visit to the Ladan Cave Temple in the foothills of Yanamalai.

A small lane adjacent to the famous Lord Yoga Narasimhar Temple leads visitors to a rocky terrain and then to the Ladan Cave Temple, which is built in the style of early Pandya period.

Tusk-shaped

This rock-cut temple, dedicated to Lord Muruga and his consort Goddess Devesena exclusively, belongs to eighth century A.D, according to Archaeological officers.

Huge tusk-shaped staircase from either side leads to the front mandap where the peacock and a cock stand on two pilasters (half pillars) on the left and right side. The front mandap also has sculptures of saints and kings who are all attentive to the orders of their Lord. The roof is held by the dwarf structured goblin freeze (boothakanagal).

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/05/03/images/2008050350470401.jpg

The rectangular sanctum sanctorum has Lord Muruga and his consort Goddess Devesena, on his left.

These are bas-relief sculptures, made out of single rock especially in rock-cut temples like Ladan Temple.

Here, Lord Muruga has a band of flowers (kannimaalai) on his head and crossed chain (channaveeram) on his chest. Similarly, Goddess Devasena is decked beautifully in well-designed dress materials and locks of hair are intrinsically carved to give the feel of a wonderful modern hairdo. This extra care in dressing and the bunch of flowers may lead all to believe that this was the venue of the reception.

Peacock and cock

Apart from these structures, the presence of peacock and cock doubly ascertain that the sculpture is that of Lord Muruga. The pillars and walls of the cave temple are decorated with fully blossomed lotus flower either in square or octagonal-shaped designs besides the wavy carbels (tharangapodigai) on the pillars.

On the eastern wall there is a ‘vattelluthu’ inscription that bears a sentence indicating the renovation work that was taken up in the ninth century A.D. The sentence is “pullari vattakuruchi Nambiran patta somayaji parivirajakar pudukku.”

According to Archaeological Officer, C. Shanthalingam ‘pullari vattakuruchi’ would probably refer to the place while ‘somayaji’ refers to a Brahmin and ‘parivirajakar’ the name of the person and the word ‘pudukku’ refers to renovation work.

Lada Sanyasi

Briefing about the name of the temple, he says that temple was named after the presence of Lada Sanniyasi, whose sculpture is inscribed at the base of the stairs. It is believed that Sanyasi was from Bengal, which is referred as Lada Desam.

The adjacent Narasimhar Temple was built by Paranthaga Neduchadaya Varagunan in 770 A.D. Probably, the Pandya kings built the Vishnu and Muruga Temple at the foot of the elephant hill as a countercheck to the then flourishing Jainism, Mr. Shanthalingam adds.

Hinduism and Jainism

He also notes that Vaishnavites and Saivites wanted to establish the victorious forms of Gods – Narasimha (Hiraniakasibu) and Muruga (Surabadman) – when Jainism was at its peak.

Similarly, he also points out that there was a trend in establishing cave temples exclusively for Gods and Goddess. There are cave temples for Lord Shiva and Parvathi belonging to 8th century A.D at Piranmalai near Singampunari and at Tirumalai in Sivaganga district.

Anybody can visit the temple and enjoy the extravaganza, of course, with prior permission from ASI at Tirumalai Naicker Mahal.

rsubbu.mdu

January 25th, 2012, 05:17 AM

Sri Koodal Azhagar Temple – Madurai – Thirukkoodal

http://nirmalkumar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/KOODAL-AZHAGAR.jpg

About Temple

Apart from being the political capital of the Pandyan and Nayakan dynasties, the importance of the city of Madurai lies in the fact that it was an important center of art and culture. Its temples are the best manifestations of its unique cultural heritage. The Koodal Alagar Temple in Madurai is an ancient temple that reflects the cultural heritage of the land in keeping with the tradition of the land.

Located at a distance of about 2 km to the west of the city, the Koodal Alagar Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, an important God of the Hindu pantheon. There are three altars in the Koodal Alagar Temple and in all the altars Lord Vishnu resides in three different postures.

The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Koodal Alagar who is Lord Vishnu in a seated posture under the Serpent Lord Aadhiseshan. This is the most revered shrine of the temple. Lord Vishnu in a reclining posture is better known as Sri Ranganatha and his altar is just above the altar of Lord Koodal Alagar. Lord Vishnu in a standing pose referred to as Sri Surya Narayan Perumal adorns the temple.

There are a total of 108 Divya Desam or Vaishnavite Shrines in the country. But in only two of these shrines can one witness Lord Vishnu in all three postures – standing, sitting and reclining. The Koodal Alagar Temple is one of those two temples to have this unique feature.

On the occasion of Mahasamprokashanam, the Koodal Alagar, Madurai is thronged by a large number of devotees. As it is not held very frequently, the joyous enthusiasm of the people is really worth noticing. Renovation of the temple that cost more than a crore was undertaken when it was celebrated recently in the year 2006. The paint used was special and made from medicinal herbs of Kerala. It will last for thousands of years.

The other impressive features of the Koodal Alagar Temple, Madurai include the ornamental windows. They are elegantly carved and reflective of the exceptional skills of the stone masons. The intricately carved wooden panels are simply spectacular. What will particularly catch your attention is the panel that portrays Lord Rama’s Pattabhishekham or coronation.

In the temple tower at the entrance, one sees the story of the Ramayana and Mahabaratha depicted through sculpture in different tiers of the tower. These sculptures can be closely seen from Tier 1 of the temple and are not to be missed.

When you visit the Koodal Alagar Temple, the sight of Lord Vishnu at Ashtanga Vimanan will surely remain etched in your minds forever. So make it a point to visit this 1,500 year old temple.

Location

Located very near to Periyar (central) bus stand and the railway junction, Madurai. The towering golden Sthupi is visible from the central bus stand guiding the pilgrims to its vicinity.

History

This temple hails from the earliest Age of Sangam period. There are references of this temple in Paripadal and Silappadikaram. The presiding deity was praised and worshipped by the Sangam tamil Poets as the president and guardian deity of the Sangam and called him by the name “Thuvarikoman” (the King who ruled over from Dwaraka) and Koodal Alagar. Koodal refers to the assembly of Poets and scholars. The Ancient Pandya rulers celebrated Avani Onam festival in praise of Sri Koodal Alagar for a period seven days. This festival is vividly described in Maduraikkanchi, on the ten lengthy poems called Pathupattu of the Sangam period. Ilangovadigal praises the Lord as “Needu Neer-Vaigai Nedumal” meaning the Lord who spanned the universe by taking three strides. (Thiruvokrama) Who is now seated at the bank of the river Vaigai in Archa form.

Arts and Archiecture

The sanctum sanctorums of this temple are seen one above the other, it is unique to this temple. Convenient steps have been provided to reach the top floors. Just like the Peria koil tower of Tanjore, the shadows of Astanganga vimanam do not fall on the ground. The stone walls on the 3 sides of the Athittanam are full of artistic works. Sun’s rays reach the sanctum sanctorum through the 7 windows in this wall. There are beautiful sculptures made of lime mortar on the Vimanam (structure over the sanctum sanctorum). In the third floor, the scenes of “Dasavatharam”(the ten Incarnations) are depited with lime mortar sculptures around the shrine. The shrine of goddess thayar Maragathavalli, built with granite stones and carved with sculptural works is seen here. There is an unjal mandapam (swinging mandapam) full of artistic wooden works.

Large Monoilithic sculptures of yallies are found here. Also there are musical pillars in this temple. Sri Andaal shrine is in the northern part of Perumal shrine.

PeriAzhvaar’s praise

Pandya king Pururavan contributed a lot for the Koodal Lord. His grandson conquered the North and came back prompting PeriAzhvaar to sing:

“Parupathu Kayal Poritha Pandyar Kulapathipol
ThiruPolintha Sevadi En Senniyin Mel
Porithathaai MaruPosithaai, Enrenrum Vaasagamey
UruPolintha Naavinenai Unakurithaakinaiye”

http://nirmalkumar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Koodal-3-tier.jpg

Later, another Pandya king Vallabadevan wanted to know the Lord with the power to show the way to Paramapatham, the heavenly abode. The King hung a Golden Parrot with the announcement that the parrot would automatically fall, once someone informs him of the right Lord to Paramapatham. Several came and went back without success.

It is believed that the Koodal Lord appeared in the dreams of Vallabadevan’s priest Selvanambi and suggested the name of PeriAzhvaar of Srivilliputhur. Accordingly, PeriAzhvaar was brought to the court of the Pandya King in Madurai. With several examples from vedic scriptures as well as historical references, PeriAzhvaar showcased to the Pandya King that Lord Vishnu was the Lord who could take one to the heavenly abode. And to every one’s surprise the parrot fell down.

The Azhvaar taken on a Street procession in Koodal
A delighted Pandya king praised PeriAzhvaar and took him on an elephant procession through the streets of Madurai. Legend has it that Koodal Azhagar himself came to see this sight on his Garuda Vaahanam.
“Pandyan Kondaada PattarBhiraan Sonnaan Enru…….”

PeriAzhvaar’s Thiru Pallaandu
Delighted at the sight of the Koodal Lord, PeriAzhvaar showered praises with his Pallaandu. Hence, Koodal Azhagar is credited with origination of ThiruPallaandu, which now has come to be sung as the first 12 songs of the Divya Prabhandham. Being the place where PeriAzhvaar sang the now famous Pallaandu, this place is considered equivalent to Paramapatham.

“Pallandu Pallaandu Pallayirathaandu, Palakodi Nooraayiram
Mallanda Thinthol Manivanna Un Sevadi Seppu ThiruKaapu…..”
The Pandya Symbol

Pandya king Sathya Varadan undertook penance before the Koodal Lord, who gave him darshan inside a sacred tumbler, as a fish. This is stated to be the reason for the Pandyas to have ‘Fish’ as their symbol in their flags.
Vaigai And Krithumala

At Sathya Logam, Brahmma washed the legs of Lord Vishnu, after his Trivikrama Avataaram, the sacred water drops of which fell on Madurai. These sacred drops spread as two rivers, Vaigai and Krithumala. Koodal Azhagar temple is on the banks of Kruthumala river.
Temple Cars

This temple is endowed with a beautiful wodden Car.

Legend
Brahmanda Purana vividly describes this kshetra in seven chapters. Sri Koodal Alagar is seated in the Ashtanga vimana flanked by his consorts. The legendary Kings Prithu, Malaydioaja workshipped Sri Koodal Alagar, who bestowed them with prosperity and attainment of moksha at the end. The Grand Invocation:Alwars are mystical saints who glorified the presence of Narayana in temples by their hymns. Among them vishnu chittha has a unique position. He was invited to visit the Pandya Court at Madurai in order to settle the disputes among the various religious sects. Vishnuchitha established the supremacy of Sriman Narayana by quoting profusely the vedic texts in support of his argument. At the end of his argument a miracle happened. The purse containing gold coins suspended in a pole landed down in the hand of Vishnuchittha. This was a divine acceptance!. The King celebrated this victory by seating Vishnuchittha on the decorated throne placed on the back of royal elephant and he himself led the procession accompanied by the vedic Pandits. Sri Koodal Alagar pleased by the grand victory appeared before the procession seated on the shoulders of Garuda the divine vehicle and blessed Vishnuchittha. Vishnuchittha got himself immered in the infinite beauty of the lord, regaining his senses he blessed the lord, with a long life of thousands of years by expressing his wishes in the form of twelve verses (first) in tamil known as Thirupallandu. Vishnuchittha recited the verse in tune with the ringing of the bells tied to the elephant. He offered Mangalasasanam at the holy feet of Sri Koodal Alagar. Thirupallandu is recited even today as the starting invocations in the shrines. The Pandya King praised Vishnuchittha as “Pattar piran” while the lord gave him the name “Periyalwar”. Vishnuchitta is regarded as the foremost among the twelve Alwars by the merit of his infinite love and utterance of Pallandu, which was given the foremost place in the recital of Divya Prabandam by Nathamuni who confided the Naalayira divya prabandam.

Unique Pilgirm Centre

Sri Koodal alagar temple one among the 108 Vaishnavaite shrines, is unique as Alwars had performed Mangalasasanam for this temple. Also Periyalwar had praised this temple in his literary work “Thiruppallandu”. Attanga vimana considered the foremost among the 94 vimanas is found over the sanctum sanctorum of this temple. It is rare to see Attanga vimana in temples, which adds to the uniqueness of Sri Koodal alagar temple. It is believed that by coming around the Attanga vimana, 12 times for continous 45 days, one’s wish will be satisfied.

Courtesy : http://www.pilgrimtrips.com/

rsubbu.mdu

January 25th, 2012, 05:45 AM

http://www.irfca.org/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=94805&g2_serialNumber=4

FDC of the Inaugral Run of the Vaigai Express on 15-8-1977. The FDC have both Madras and Madurai Cancellations. The FDC of Madras-Madurai Vaigai express shows the clock with the departure time (1400hrs) at Madras Egmore and the arrival time (2130hrs) at Madurai Junction and the same from Madurai (0600hrs) to Madras (1330hrs). M Senthil Kumar

Source:IRFCA

http://www.irfca.org/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=94802&g2_serialNumber=4

FDC of the Inaugral Run of the Vaigai Express on 15-8-1977. The FDC have both Madras and Madurai Cancellations. The FDC of Madras-Madurai Vaigai express shows the clock with the departure time (1400hrs) at Madras Egmore and the arrival time (2130hrs) at Madurai Junction and the same from Madurai (0600hrs) to Madras (1330hrs). M Senthil Kumar

Source:IRFCA

Madurai gilli

January 25th, 2012, 06:54 PM

Life in the lazy lanes off the busy North Masi Street

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00903/26MP_MAMP_AILLUS_903247e.jpg

Nallathangam, with a head full of white hair, squats on the small cement platform outside her house from five in the morning to ten in the night daily. At 85, she has nothing else to do but simply sit and watch the world go by. Only thrice a day, she disappears briefly behind the curtain hanging over the main door of the house. “I need to eat three small meals. My five sons and their wives provide for me,” she says. Women from adjacent houses occasionally stop by to exchange banter. The postman, the vegetable vendor or the ‘uppu' seller sometimes pause to enquire about her health.

Nallathangam does not complain about life or, for that matter, anything else. Neither does another bent-with-age octogenarian Shanmugam living two lanes away. You will find her also sitting on the threshold the entire day once she has fetched water from the municipality tap 500 m away. “I go to fill water daily at 10 a.m. This one large plastic pot is sufficient for me. After that I enjoy watching the cars and other vehicles and people going past. It is better than watching TV,” she smiles.

One comes across many more such elderly women and their young daughters and younger daughters-in-law inside these narrow lanes, called the ‘kal sandhu', that branch off the busy North Masi Street. These are probably the only niches in the city where life still resembles a slow-motion picture of the 60s and 70s. These are Madurai's lesser known lanes which bear no names, where it is almost dark even in broad daylight, where the sky appears like a blue ribbon through the gap between the roofs of the old and new buildings.

Even if you step inside these lanes in the afternoon, you will find the colourful morning kolams still fresh, women sitting on thinnais gossiping and mechanically finishing household chores. You will smell the strong puli kuzhambu steaming in aluminium pots. Then the sights: clothes drying on a string by one side of the lane; cycles and mopeds chained to windows and doors on the other side; small children happily playing in groups or defecating, alone, in a corner. Cows and goats let out an occasional cry from the sheds, squirrels and rats gnaw into the cow dung, cats and dogs look for food, birds peck into haystack.

Life moves at its own pace and no one seems to be in a rush here. A cycle rings from behind and we almost kiss the walls to make way. A resident of 45 years, Sethuram Konar tells us there are at least 30 such narrow lanes, if not more, that branch off this main road and curve and bend and intertwine before reaching some dead end. Not even two feet wide, some of them run up to a kilometre and even more.

Mostly identified by the communities that inhabit these places, these lanes house some amazing structures. In Aadi Konar Sandhu, we find quite a few century-old houses with antique doors and wooden pillars, many abandoned and some still in use. They share their walls with newer structures. Except for this curious mosaic of the old and the new, it resembles a compressed village life, where people seem to have all the time.

The afternoon calm is occasionally broken by a rhythmic ‘tak tak' – the pounding of betel nuts. Ponnathal, 80, is preparing her post-lunch paakku, as she sits by the hand pump, her legs leisurely stretched Many of these women were born in these houses: they left after they got married and are now back as widows. Their sons and daughters, who now occupy the houses, leave a corner for them. In this burrow of theirs, they chat, fight, cook, exchange curries, watch serials, raise grandchildren and spend most of their time at the doorstep. The lane is their world.

Sooty kitchens and smoking stoves, dingy stairs and cramped rooms, creaking doors and whirring fans, wobbling cots and rickety chairs, torn mats and old calendars with photos of gods and goddesses — they make up the houses built on plots measuring not more than 450 sq. ft. There may be a tussle for space but there is no tension on their faces. They break into a smile whenever they encounter new people like us.

Ashok Kumar, a smartly turned out Yadava College graduate who now works in a pharmaceutical company, waves at us. He is the fourth generation of his family living in the same old house. “All our extended family members also live here. We can't imagine leaving this place built by our forefathers. This is prime location where the monthly rent is Rs. 6,000 and the deposit Rs. 1 lakh advance even for such pigeon-hole accommodation,” he shares.

Along with him, as we step out of the unimaginably narrow lane, a honking jeep on the busy Masi Street throws us back into our real life. Suddenly, the burden of living in a different kind of hustle-bustle comes back. Ashok Kumar shrugs it off saying, “We have learnt to adapt to both the worlds. Inside our lanes, it is very secure and traditional. Just a step outside in the scorching sun, it is the fear of the unknown.”

(City 3Sixty is a monthly column that captures the different moods of the city. It appears last Thursday of every month).

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article2831513.ece

kannan infratech

January 25th, 2012, 10:42 PM

We travelled by Vaigai express on the third or fourth day from Madurai to Chennai.

My mother was terrified by that speed and warned me not to go to next compartment through the vestibule.

It was fun.

ilikemadurai

January 26th, 2012, 06:56 PM

Unsure if this has been posted before.

"Kaaval Kottam" tamil novel discusses(amongst others) about ancient Madurai's security system in depth. It's author Mr. Su. Venkatesan has won Sahiteya Academy Award for the same.

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/books/article2735141.ece

http://tamil.koodal.com/tamil/books/review.asp?id=71&title=kaval-kottam-tamil-novel-book&author=s-venkatesan

madurakarenda

January 26th, 2012, 09:02 PM

rsubbu.mdu

January 27th, 2012, 03:49 AM

One could come across the place called 'Rajdhanikoattai' from Dindigul to Madurai on road near Kodai road. Any connections with history because the name looks like it has connections with some 'Rajdhani' probably New Delhi?

MK,

Not sure about this place. History talks about three forts which served as a protection from any invasion the city of Madura. Those were Dindigul, Natham and Trichy. Not sure whether the fort at Natham still exists. The location of Madurai was bit ideal in terms of safety purposes. The capital of the kingdom when shifted to Trichy led to the obvious calamity which the other rulers could forsee and hence never opted for Trichy earlier. Even Hampi met a similar fate due to similar topography.

madurakarenda

January 29th, 2012, 09:42 AM

The Travel Club, Madurai, has appealed to the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, to take steps to preserve the Vilakkuthoon police station building and also declare it a heritage structure.

In a letter sent to the Chief Minister on behalf of citizens of Madurai interested in preserving its heritage structures, the club expressed its grave concern over the move to raze down the building to make way for a modern police station. The letter recalled that pleas had been made over a period of time to the Madurai Collectors to take steps to declare the building a heritage structure.

Madurai, one of the oldest living cities in the world, could claim to have the unique advantage of having many historical sites, though many had vanished or been ruined due to invasion by various dynasties. World over, countries with less history were artificially creating historical sites and promoting them as tourist spots. While efforts were being made to showcase our history, it was indeed shocking to hear that a historical building was to be razed down, it said.

Considering the historical value of this place, the Travel Club wanted the original structure to be retained. It felt that the Chief Minister, who had sown a keen interest in preserving heritage buildings in Chennai, should also focus her attention on many heritage buildings and sites in Madurai, which should be protected for years to come.

The Travel Club said that the District Registrar's Office near to Tirumalai Nayak Palace built by the British in 19th Century; Pandian Super Market building located opposite to District Registrar's Office, which was donated by King Sethupati of Ramnad to Christian Missionaries to build a hospital in the 18th century; Vilakkuthoon erected in 1840 in memory of the then Collector Blackburn; Vilakkuthoon police station; Vittavasal, the remnant of a Pandya fort; building housing the office of the Commissioner of Police and rampart opposite Periyar bus stand built during the Nayak period were the structures that required immediate attention. The government should take steps to declare them as heritage structures.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/article2842351.ece

madurakarenda

February 1st, 2012, 03:34 PM

The corridors of the Railway Institute resonate with Anglo-Indian history and tradition. Once upon a time, foot-tapping music filled the room and the dancers swayed to it, allowing their pleated long ball-gowns to grace their movements. In the perfect unison of song and dance, the century-old Railway Institute is a living testimony to those good old days of fun, frolic and revelry.

Earlier last month — on January 7 — the spirit of partying revisited the institute as members of the Anglo-Indian community flocked to celebrate the centenary of an institution where their parents and grandparents had spent happy moments. Some of the families living abroad came down to Madurai to relive those days.

Jane Cleur, 94, the oldest member of the community living in Madurai, inaugurated the plaque that marked the centenary celebrations. The Institute became synonymous with the community since its inception in1912. The community organised every wedding and celebrations in the Institute.

As the Anglo-Indians were more in number in the erstwhile mammoth mechanical department of the Railways, the then Divisional Mechanical Engineer Mr. Rose, a British, dedicated the institute to the community for recreational activities.

The evocative narrative of Marcus Cleur literally takes the listener to 1960s and 70s when the century-old Railway Institute reverberated with music and dance. Starting from January, the institute continued to reverberate with music, rock and roll and ball room dances. In fact, the balls are termed as – Pongal Ball, Valentine Ball, May Queen dance, June Rose Ball, Hot August Ball and Come September Ball.

Besides, they have their Christmas and New Year Ball on the nights of Christmas and New Year.

As the academic months were from January to December, youth get a chunk of holidays from the first week of the month which they used it for preparation for Carols and Serenading. “Serenading is pure fun. Boys dressed up in girls' costume sang traditional Christmas songs besides performing clean mischief like lifting name boards and plants and placing them in somebody else houses,” says Mr. Cleur, who owns a rock band since his college days and continues to play at important occasions of the community.

The 58-year-old Cleur, who is working as Ticket Inspector attached to Commercial Stores, fondly remembers how the Railway Colony was pulsating with scores of activities involving the institute. “Dance and music are an in-thing to the community. Every baby learns to dance watching elders as early as they begin to walk,” he says with visible exuberance.

The opening of immigration opportunities in England and Australia and lack of job opportunities forced the community members in droves to go out of the country. Lancelot Bentick, a guard in the railways, says: “Do not bring tears to my eyes. I have danced on the floors from my kindergarten days and music and dance are part of my self.” In fact, he floated a music band ‘Country Boys' and performed at the institute and various clubs on many occasions.

The institute has lot of unique features, he says. This is the biggest of all institutes in down South including the one at Perambur which is bigger breadth-wise. The billiard tables have created long standing national champion Vernie Freer, who was a driver with the Railways. “It is the first institute, or rather only institute to use the spring boards on the wooden floor. The hollow space where the springs are placed is roughly around six-and-a-half feet down the floor,” Mr. Bentick notes.

The octogenarian Ida D'Costa, who rocked the dance floors half-a-century-ago, says: “Those were golden days where the institute was full of activities like ‘Pound Social' where every family would bring a food item weighing one pound. After Grand march Lancer dance they would go for the buffet. Wish-drive and dance, twist, chia-chaia, bump dance, walls, jive are some the dance programmes that were organized at the institute during weekends.

The institute, though started as a recreation centre for the Anglo-Indian community, has served as a divisional office for few years before the present DRM office was constructed.

“In the past 100 years, the institute stands tall without budging to natural calamities that had rocked the city,” says Krishna G. Rao, a lecturer, who has witnessed the activities at the institute as a resident of the Railway Colony.

“The institute was the venue for ballroom dances, a British tradition, and Navarathri celebrations, wherein music concerts were organised during the week in 1980s,” claims Mr. Rao. Now, the institute resounds with music of British tradition only once a year during the Christmas celebrations.

Even at the first look, the British-styled structure of the institute designates its age. Further, the plaque at the entrance dating to 1912 reconfirms its antiquity. A cook's tour would give you the glimpse of the wooden floor that was the dancing floor of the community that is being used as badminton court. The community members believe that playing shuttlecock would spoil smoothness of the floor, which was only meant for dancing.

The two billiards tables, which is certainly more than three-quarter-century-old, adorn the institute making it more attractive even today for the game lovers. The boards have the pride of being a table used by many national-level players like Vernie Freer. The reading room that subscribes magazines and papers invite young and old alike, especially the members.

“There are about 3000 members including the retired Railway employees,” says A. Nowshadali, secretary in-charge of the Institute. The institute collects a monthly subscription of Rs.5.

The Anglo-Indian community that once ruled the roost in the institute is organising their celebrations at some city hotels owing to lack of facilities and space. “If something could be done, we are ready to associate ourselves with the institute which is filled with our ancestors' breath,” says Mr. Cleur.

Now, the institute is rented out to railway employees for organizing weddings and betrothals and family celebrations. To keep their tradition alive, even now the community members organize dance programmes in May whenever people come down to the city during summer vacations apart from the Christmas balls.

About the rumour that is making rounds that institute will be razed down or converted into some commercial structure, Mr. Cleur says, “Let it be a rumour because if anything happens to the institute, it would be nothing less than genocide.”

The emotional attachment to the institute is such that Annette Rozario has requested her relatives and friends to take her body after death to the institute and play music and call out her name. “I might get up and dance,” she says.

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2850628.ece

madurakarenda

February 2nd, 2012, 05:39 PM

MK,

Not sure about this place. History talks about three forts which served as a protection from any invasion the city of Madura. Those were Dindigul, Natham and Trichy. Not sure whether the fort at Natham still exists. The location of Madurai was bit ideal in terms of safety purposes. The capital of the kingdom when shifted to Trichy led to the obvious calamity which the other rulers could forsee and hence never opted for Trichy earlier. Even Hampi met a similar fate due to similar topography.

I have seen some 'Oomaithurai fort' somewhere near Sivaganga I guess blindly, I don't remember the place because I went there when i was about 8 years old :( rsubbu, i am sure you could shed some information in this

Madurai gilli

February 3rd, 2012, 04:07 PM

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/421760_180545338718080_100002878457247_253444_1976945448_n.jpg

An aerial view of Ancient Madurai Meenakshi temple :

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/422753_180545615384719_100002878457247_253447_796590562_n.jpg

Source : Madurakaran Karthikeyan - FB

Madurai gilli

February 3rd, 2012, 04:08 PM

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/405773_180546092051338_100002878457247_253454_1467191137_n.jpg

Madurai gilli

February 3rd, 2012, 04:09 PM

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/420134_180546435384637_100002878457247_253456_548603355_n.jpg

Madurai gilli

February 3rd, 2012, 04:11 PM

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/425301_180548178717796_100002878457247_253468_2046449394_n.jpg

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/426693_180548675384413_100002878457247_253471_808024358_n.jpg

Source - Madurakaran Karthikeyan FB

Madurai gilli

February 3rd, 2012, 04:12 PM

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/409099_180549035384377_100002878457247_253472_259650645_n.jpg

Tanjore type Paintings found in Temple walls in 1980's - Now not there..!!

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/407140_180550682050879_100002878457247_253478_1526242025_n.jpg

Madurai gilli

February 3rd, 2012, 04:14 PM

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/429377_180551915384089_100002878457247_253479_433349849_n.jpg

Madurai gilli

February 3rd, 2012, 04:14 PM

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/416816_180554595383821_100002878457247_253482_1892667429_n.jpg

Madurai gilli

February 3rd, 2012, 04:16 PM

Protected by Marutha Nayagam (Yusuf Khan).. the brief french map explains the attack points from all the directions.. and locations

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/428287_180555332050414_100002878457247_253484_61584609_n.jpg

madurakarenda

February 3rd, 2012, 04:16 PM

Tanjore type Paintings found in Temple walls in 1980's - Now not there..!!

If this thing is in the wall between the entry to the temple through south tower and Amman's shrine (south side of the temple tank), the repainting works were initiated and were halfway through before a few years and they stopped it without completing it :(

Madurai gilli

February 3rd, 2012, 04:17 PM

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/431530_180557135383567_100002878457247_253485_1355188642_n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/427429_180558858716728_100002878457247_253488_1602643823_n.jpg

Madurai gilli

February 3rd, 2012, 04:19 PM

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/418579_180559252050022_100002878457247_253490_2136385494_n.jpg

Madurai gilli

February 3rd, 2012, 04:20 PM

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/425706_180559715383309_100002878457247_253491_1138549442_n.jpg

Madurai gilli

February 3rd, 2012, 04:21 PM

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/417094_180560348716579_100002878457247_253493_1289692320_n.jpg

Madurai gilli

February 3rd, 2012, 04:22 PM

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/407753_180560848716529_100002878457247_253494_1900795950_n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/420548_180561078716506_100002878457247_253495_1602417940_n.jpg

Source : Madurakaran Karthikeyan - FB

Madurai gilli

February 4th, 2012, 05:40 PM

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/417257_181158518656762_100002878457247_254648_1185177346_n.jpg

Source : Madurakaran Karthikeyan FB

Madurai gilli

February 4th, 2012, 05:42 PM

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/418827_181183768654237_100002878457247_254684_737412859_n.jpg

Madurai gilli

February 4th, 2012, 05:44 PM

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/403105_181185378654076_100002878457247_254689_1474347571_n.jpg

Source : Madurakaran Karthikeyan - FB

^^Couldn't even imagine the situation of these areas now in Madurai...!!

Madurai gilli

February 4th, 2012, 05:46 PM

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/419953_181186278653986_100002878457247_254690_1817254700_n.jpg

Madurai gilli

February 4th, 2012, 05:46 PM

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/397857_181186658653948_100002878457247_254691_1317321865_n.jpg

Madurai gilli

February 4th, 2012, 05:48 PM

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/404285_181187231987224_100002878457247_254692_525838817_n.jpg

Source : Madurakaran Karthikeyan - FB

^^ Are they referring to the current CSI Mission Hospital & Dental College campus ?

Madurai gilli

February 4th, 2012, 05:50 PM

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/429486_181187658653848_100002878457247_254693_1372969533_n.jpg

madurakarenda

February 4th, 2012, 05:58 PM

Are they referring to the current CSI Mission Hospital & Dental College campus ?

Yes, it is the Christian Mission Hospital that turned 150 years (not sure of the number) i hope recently :) It is still a very good hospital in the city that gives quality healthcare at a comparatively lower cost and I love the way the nurses interact with the patients there when I used to go to this hospital till I was 10.

madurakarenda

February 5th, 2012, 04:07 AM

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/4029/71689774.jpg

An article on how Sholavanthan got its name

madurakarenda

February 5th, 2012, 04:08 AM

http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/3994/72415153.jpg

The 'Lord shiva peruman sold puttu story' has been covered in this article

madurakarenda

February 5th, 2012, 04:09 AM

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/9393/78050555.jpg

The mandapam shown in the picture has been made out of a single rock! Nowadays we speak high of monolithic Sony Bravia televisions :lol: Monolithic architecture could be seen in Tamil Nadu temples well before ages! :) :)

Madurai gilli

February 7th, 2012, 02:10 PM

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/430813_182492348523379_100002878457247_258147_644109957_n.jpg

madurakarenda

February 8th, 2012, 12:10 AM

MADURAI: King Thirumalai Nayak, the architect of present day Madurai, was remembered on Tuesday on the occasion of his 429th birth anniversary celebrations here. Thirumalai Nayak, the most notable of the 13 Nayak kings, ruled from 1623 to 1659 and had constructed various important structures that now stand testimony for Madurai.

"More than the architecture, the important decision he had taken to move the capital from Trichy to Madurai during his period, has earned the political significance Madurai enjoys today," says V Vedachalam, an archaeologist from Madurai.

The Nayaks ruled their dynasty from Trichy, unlike the Pandya kings, who held Madurai as their capital. It was Thirumalai Nayak who moved the capital to Madurai during his rule and subsequently constructed various structures like the towers for Meenakshi Amman temple, other halls inside the temple like Astasakthi, Meenakshi Nayakar, he said.

'Pudumandapam' (New Hall) adjacent to the temple is a sculpture treasure itself where the finest of sculptures stand till today. "He was the patron of art and culture during his period and social, religious harmony thrived during his regime," Vedachalam said.

"For an instance, he combined Meenakshi's celestial wedding from Saivaite rite with and Alagar festival of Vaishnavite rite, thus ending the long rivalry between these two rites. Earlier, Alagar festival was held somewhere between February to March, while Meenakshi celestial wedding festival was held in April. He combined both and formed the Chithirai festival, which is celebrated till date," Vedachalam said. Further, these festivals brought both rural and urban communities together thus creating a social harmony among his citizens, he added.

Another significant contribution of Thirumalai Nayak is his palace, which is as significant as the Taj Mahal in North. "The palace is one among the oldest palaces withstanding the time. It is older than most of the palaces in Tamil Nadu, thus leaving an architectural monument of his time," Vedachalam added.

To mark his 429th birth day celebrations, Tamil Nadu Naidu and Nayakkar Association and its youth wing organised day-long celebrations at the Thirumalai Nayak Mahal. They paid floral tributes to his statue situated in the palace premises, as well as his other statue situated in Arapalayam Cross Road.

Later in the afternoon, a mass rally was taken out by these associations from Kattabomman statue to the palace, where they anointed the statue with 21 pots of milk. People from surrounding villages where the particular castes live converged in large numbers. A public meeting was followed by the rally in which AIADMK's organizing secretary, Sulochana Sampath attended.

During the meeting, the associations passed a resolution urging the state government to celebrate the birth anniversary of Thirumalai Nayak as a government festival like earlier, when it was stopped in 1996. They also asked the government to rename the palace road opposite to the mahal, as Thirumalai Nayak road. They also sought the airport to be named after the king and the stone statue in front of palace be replaced with bronze.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Thirumalai-Nayak-key-architect-of-Madurai-remembered/articleshow/11801070.cms

rsubbu.mdu

February 10th, 2012, 01:05 AM

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/430813_182492348523379_100002878457247_258147_644109957_n.jpg

Gilli,

Mottagopuram never had the gopura structure as the name suggests.

madurakarenda

February 12th, 2012, 05:53 AM

Gilli,

Mottagopuram never had the gopura structure as the name suggests.

Yes, motta gopuram is a complete mottai not a haircut kind :lol: as i have also heard about it and read about it in places

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:00 AM

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/427060_189491571156790_100002878457247_272524_145971903_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:01 AM

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/409093_189491771156770_100002878457247_272525_1197785529_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:02 AM

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/429537_189491997823414_100002878457247_272526_1464955590_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:03 AM

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/428599_189492344490046_100002878457247_272527_1991127672_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:04 AM

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/426548_189492767823337_100002878457247_272528_1203705939_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:04 AM

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/422804_189493891156558_100002878457247_272529_2016648561_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:05 AM

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/428669_189494177823196_100002878457247_272531_446603892_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:06 AM

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/407475_189496177822996_100002878457247_272546_983536660_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:06 AM

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/407475_189496181156329_100002878457247_272547_69959704_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:07 AM

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/407475_189496184489662_100002878457247_272548_1433460820_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:08 AM

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/407475_189496187822995_100002878457247_272549_1893229938_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:08 AM

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/407475_189496191156328_100002878457247_272550_1208790208_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:09 AM

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/401329_189497424489538_100002878457247_272565_936610652_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:10 AM

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/401329_189497427822871_100002878457247_272566_840338095_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

^^It is a Lane in Old Kuyavarpalayam Road.. Somebody please confirm.. whether it is correct.. or not..?

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:11 AM

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/401329_189497431156204_100002878457247_272567_1125498719_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:12 AM

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/401329_189497434489537_100002878457247_272568_79942247_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB
__________________

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:13 AM

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/401329_189497437822870_100002878457247_272569_1340213295_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:13 AM

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/423610_189498874489393_100002878457247_272587_2084947290_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:14 AM

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/423610_189498881156059_100002878457247_272588_806540417_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 18th, 2012, 11:34 AM

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/431385_189488664490414_100002878457247_272515_724210218_n.jpg

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/424357_189489344490346_100002878457247_272518_1104246211_n.jpg

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

truthspeker

February 18th, 2012, 02:57 PM

Courtesy : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

^^It is a Lane in Old Kuyavarpalayam Road.. Somebody please confirm.. whether it is correct.. or not..?
Yes, It is correct. This lane exist near to "Virudunagar Indunadar High School" in opposite side.

madurakarenda

February 19th, 2012, 10:51 AM

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/404216_190071361098811_100002878457247_274022_375397564_n.jpg

Source : Madurakkaran Karthikeyan - Facebook group "Namma Madurai"

Madurai gilli

February 22nd, 2012, 03:26 PM

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00931/aki14madurai__JPG_931673f.jpg

Footloose inside the commercial lanes where life takes on a different hue, despite the same clamour everywhere

Our two-wheeler protests as we try to catch up an old couple walking barely 200 metres ahead. They are distinctly visible in a stream of people and vehicles because of the huge steel vessel they are holding high above their heads. They are within sight and yet out of reach, as we can neither speed up nor turn back to park our scooter.

This winding Cross Street cuts through a set of nine lanes on East Veli Street called Lakshmipuram. There are four dozen shops on this street selling only aluminium, copper, brass, bronze and steel vessels and containers. They teem with activity no matter what time of the day or night it is. The ‘clink-clank' fills the air as vessels are loaded on or off cycle carts and tempos. Man walks faster than machine here. Small or big, slow or fast, vehicles have no choice but to inch along, bumper to bumper.

We spot a gap in a tightly packed row of bicycles and bikes and jump off our scooter to step closer to the couple. Pandi looks at us in disbelief when asked point blank, why and where is he carrying such a big vessel so early in the day? Seeing the camera, his frown melts into a smile, “We are shopping for our daughter's wedding.”

“These utensils are very popular in our villages. They are handy for storing grains. I bought this for Rs.1,275. It weighs four kilos,” he tells us with swelling pride. “It's like gold for the poor like us and worth investing in.”

Pandi and his wife, Thangalakshmi, took the early morning bus from their little-known hamlet, Karisangulam, in adjacent Virudhunagar District. Says she, “We wanted to be the first customers, when the shop opens at 9.” Pandi adds, “Whenever there was a marriage in the family or any other festive occasion during these last 50 years, I have come to this shop in Madurai.”

We met many more like them during the next two hours in Lakshmipuram, each on a similar mission. What is important for them all is the aura of good fortune the shops hold for them.

As the sun rises, it glares on the innumerable brass pots stacked neatly in front of the shops and the entire lane shines yellow. We keep moving, struggling to find our feet, and leave behind Pandi and his wife. They take a break, squatting on a plinth outside a shop to get names etched on their new paanai.

Invariably, a small temple -- with fresh flowers, burning incense sticks and lit lamps -- sits every 200 metres. People passing by, whether in a rush or not, turn for a fraction of a second and bow in humility. Within earshot you hear village women bargaining in rural dialect. Some have come with their burnt or damaged vessels and are haggling for the best price at the junk shop. Some shops exchange old vessels for new.

As tricycles carrying glistening vessels and uninterruptedly ringing their bells make their way through the crowd, we see more men and women carrying large items on their heads. From kaasi paanais to kuthuvilakkus in varying heights and weights, everything that forms part of the elaborate seer varisai or dowry of the Madurai region is apparently bought in Lakshmipuram. Villagers from the outskirts and several neighbouring districts throng the lane through the year and more so during Pongal, Diwali and marriage seasons. The intense traffic in these lanes makes driving and walking challenging and stressful. ‘No entry' boards greet us every ten yards as we retrace our path through a number of ‘one ways' and make six rounds of the same four lanes. After all the ditches and glitches, we find ourselves sweaty and stranded in Big Valayalkara Street, always choked with people. Brightly coloured toys, plastic wares, fancy knick-knacks and gaudy jewellery adorn this lane on the West Avani Moola Street.

A loaded tempo barges in from behind and pressure swells in the already full street. Horns blare and vehicles roar together and it sounds like a band being played. Suddenly a fight breaks out between an autowallah and a biker. Voices rise in unison, faces frown, fists go up, and the Madurai slang flows. A policeman emerges out of nowhere yelling. The matter gets resolved at its own pace.

Our ears ache. But nothing seems to affect the people around us. Unperturbed, men pack and unpack goods, women check out bangles and bands, ruminating stray cows plonk themselves in the middle, shopkeepers bustle at cash counters, the corner juice shop brims with people and a matching number of flies.

We get into a shop with actor Trisha smiling from its signboard. This is Srimathi Stores, one of 25 shops selling mostly bangles, along with shimmering gotas and glittering artificial jewellery, cheap plastic toys, fancy rexin bags and plastic flowers and garlands. Most of their owners are Rajasthani youths who have taken over from their fathers.

“Ours is a wholesale market and the items move out in big sacks to all towns and cities in southern Tamil Nadu,” says Gopal. “Individual women customers drop in occasionally. When schools have their annual day functions, teachers come and buy in bulk,” he adds.

In those few minutes with Gopal, we are amazed to find how two totally different worlds co-exist within the lane – the shops inside are silent and just outside there is cacophony. What is common, though, is that there is no place to hide or pause. Like the lane packed with people, the shops are stacked with goods and just one person can sit at the counter in the front. It can be nerve-wracking for a first timer. You return from these lanes sapped of energy, assaulted by the beeping of horns and the shouting of sellers and buyers. Still, the experience is unforgettable. When we leave the commercial lanes and return to the everyday roar at the city's main intersections, they appear quite calm!

(City 3Sixty is a monthly column that captures the different moods of the city. It appears last Thursday of every month).

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2919979.ece

Madurai gilli

February 25th, 2012, 07:27 PM

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/420197_193526424086638_100002878457247_281957_1498076909_n.jpg

Source : Madurakaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 25th, 2012, 07:29 PM

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/395313_193528984086382_100002878457247_281983_913827321_n.jpg

Source : Madurakaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 25th, 2012, 07:31 PM

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/395313_193528994086381_100002878457247_281985_1121856892_n.jpg

Source : Madurakaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 25th, 2012, 07:33 PM

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/417280_193531284086152_100002878457247_281997_1347119611_n.jpg

Source : Madurakaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 25th, 2012, 07:37 PM

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/429092_193532604086020_100002878457247_282001_877835284_n.jpg

Source : Madhurakaran Karthikeyan-FB

Madurai gilli

February 25th, 2012, 07:49 PM

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/428653_193535240752423_100002878457247_282010_30546063_n.jpg

Source : Madhurakkaran Karthikeyan-FB

N.kumar

February 25th, 2012, 08:18 PM

i have many times posted in history thread as well as aa how madurai was restored, how it was during sultanate rule.

I was surprised when some highly educated person first told me madurai had no sultanate. Then i was told goripalayam is from Ghori. which is not the case.

Not many know that Tuglaq before he became tughlaq ruled madurai.

Not many know how much the Hoysala king ballala tried to retrieve madurai and gave his life. To retieve Madurai he was willing for losing his capital and magnificient town Belur and Halebedu.

Kampanna braved many injuries to win srirangam and madurai.

But For Kampanna Madurai wouldnt have been Madurai and you would not have had Minakshi temple.

Alas sad that not many in Madurai know him or celebrate him. he is true Madurai Meeta Veeranan.

Not sundarapandian.

Infact Madurai Gilli posted something from wiki in page 2.

That wiki page is full of lies and utter nonsense. I just left it like that back then.

N.kumar

February 25th, 2012, 08:19 PM

Gangadevi's inclusion in Madurai history will complete the city's quartet of legendary women.

Next time you are inside the Meenakshi Amman Temple, just slow down near the Durgai Sannidhi. It is here, behind the celestial wedding witness tree, that a slice of history remains hidden. The lingam at the spot, of course, is worshipped by the devotees. Those who follow history will notice the crowbar marks on this lingam. What usually goes unnoticed or unread is a fading tin sheet on the wall behind it.

It says that the temple puja was restored after 43 years with the recapture of Madurai and re-opening of the temple by Kumara Kampana of Vijaynagar in 1370. It describes how Kampana and the priests dug out the original lingam and sannidhi hidden behind a wall. It had been closed with bricks, plastered and camouflaged with parrot nests to escape raiders. When the original sannidhi was reopened, the board says, two lamps were found to be still burning inside and the garland on the original lingam had not withered. The dummy lingam, placed as a decoy, bore the brunt of the attack and is the one we see now with crowbar marks outside the sanctum sanctorum.

It was this bit of information that set the Metroplus team, along with T. Vadamalaiappan, ardent history lover and employee of TVS Sundaram Fasteners, on an Indiana Jones adventure! We pored over data and information available in books and on the net. And what we found was a wonderful connection between the ancient city of Madurai and a wise and beautiful princess of the Vijaynagar Empire, Gangadevi, also known as Gangambika, who was inspired by Kalidas and wrote Sanskrit poetry.

Interestingly, the female tri-force of Madurai symbolizing power, wisdom and courage is associated with Goddess Meenakshi, Rani Mangammal, who is described as a popular administrator and efficient ruler of the Nayak kingdom, and Kannagi, the legendary Tamil woman who avenged her husband's unjust execution by cursing the city and its Pandya king. Gangadevi's name doesn't figure much, and she is not discussed in history lessons.

Vadamalaiappan points out, “It is largely due to lack of evidence and also the religious and political war between the two communities then.” Adds C.Santhalingam, retired archaeological officer, “There is no useful record or inscriptional evidence about this other than Gangadevi's own documentation. Also, she did not belong to Tamil Nadu and the Vijaynagar records are very meager.”

Gangadevi's poetry, however, is believed to be the only available chronicle of the happenings of the period in verse. Much of it is in praise of the valour of her husband and his recapture of Madurai from the Delhi Sultanate in 1370. She also offers her salutes to gods, past and contemporary great poets, and teachers. She writes of the beauty of poetry, her deep love for languages and the pleasure of writing.

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00917/09MP_MAMP__SIVA2_917284e.jpg

Her original nine chapters written in Sanskrit, called “Mathura Vijayam” and also known as "Veera Kamparaya Charitram", were initially believed to be lost. But they were discovered in the form of palm-leaf manuscripts in Thiruvananthapuram in 1900 in a private collection. In 1950, the Annamalai University came out with an English translation and before that Perumal devotee Sri Krishnamacharya of Srirangam brought out a Tamil version. It is also reported to have been translated into Telugu. These publications with their limited editions are hard to find now but still serve as a reference to establish the history of Madurai. “Mathura Vijayam” is significant as it also coincides with the recordings of the Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta, who was in Madurai as a guest of the Madurai Sultan during that time. The narrations match and are both accepted by historians.

History records Gangadevi as brave and intelligent. She served in the royal court as a poet, rode horses and entered the battlefield along with her husband, inspiring armies of women warriors.

Well-known historian Prof.R.Venkatraman recounts an incident of “Mathuradevi” as described in the book. The deity of Madurai appears in the dreams of both Kampana and his wife Gangadevi, lamenting that the glory of Madurai has fallen to an intolerant regime. She bequeaths him Chandrahaasam, the revered and legendary moon sword of the Pandyas, and asks him to save the city. Gangadevi narrates the suffering of the people and the eerie look of the raided city after the bloodbath. What followed is history — the defeat of Madurai Sultan and the re-opening of the Madurai temple, which was very small then. “What you see today is 90 per cent reconstruction by successive Nayak rulers. When Kampana ruled Madurai, he repaired many temples. His campaign was a great beginning,” adds Prof. Venkatraman.

The people of Madurai owe a great deal to Kampana for saving the city, and to Gangadevi for documenting its famed temple in pure poetry for posterity. Do we not need to tell these stories to our children?

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2871955.ece

madurakarenda

February 26th, 2012, 02:05 AM

^^ Thanks for posting this N.kumar :cheers: Getting goosebumps while reading this at places!

madurakarenda

February 27th, 2012, 04:56 AM

It is a 375-year-old monument that stands testimony to the glorious years of the Nayak regime.

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00935/27THMAHAL_935675f.jpg

Now, only one-fourth of its original structure remains intact, and yet the King's palace, popularly known as Thirumalai Nayak Mahal, here continues to enthral tourists and historians alike.

Widely considered as the most illustrious of the Madurai Nayak dynasty, King Thirumalai Nayak constructed the palace to mark the shift of his capital from Tiruchi to Madurai, which was supposed to have been done for strategic and administrative reasons.

The building was constructed with methods and techniques that were considered very novel in those years and its architecture is a confluence of three major cultures, says C. Shanthalingam, a retired Archaeological officer who was posted at Mahal for 18 years in various capacities.

While no record exist, he says that the King was said to have utilised the services of an Italian architect to design the Mahal. While the palace's arches and domes were inspired from Indo-Saracenic Architecture, the massive pillar columns reflect the Gothic (German) style.

The construction of the Mahal was estimated to have commenced at around at 1629 and completed at 1636.

“Originally, the palace stretched for 20 acres spanning a huge area. Even now, some houses in the western side of the Mahal have small arches and domes resembling those at the Mahal,” he says.

The main reason for the palace's decline, he says, was the decision of King Thirumalai Nayak's descendants to shift the capital back to Tiruchi. Towards this, many parts of the Mahal were dismantled and taken to Tiruchi. However, the palace was never constructed at Tiruchi and with the capital shift the Madurai palace fell into disuse.
Lordly contribution

“That this much of the palace remains intact was only because Lord Napier, Governor of Madras Presidency allotted Rs.5.13 lakh in 1870, a princely amount those years, for restoration of the Mahal,” adds Mr. Shanthalingam.

During British rule, the palace was used for various purposes including as army barracks and as manufacturing hub. Post-Independence it was used as Madurai-Ramnad District Court till 1970, after which it was declared as a ‘Protected Monument' by the State Archaeology Department.

N. Ganesan, Assistant Director (in-charge) of State Archaeology Department posted at the Mahal, said that based on the ticket sales, around 5,000 domestic tourists visited the Mahal every day. Weekends and holidays sees an additional 500 to 1,000 visitors as school and college students arrive as part of tours.

During the peak tourism season between November and June, 1,500 to 2,000 foreigners visit the Mahal. However in the rest of the year, the foreigners flow dwindles down to a trickle.

According to Mr. Ganesan, a total of Rs.4.70 crore has been spent on restoring and maintaining the palace over the years.

In the first major works to be taken up, a sum of Rs.76.31 lakh was allotted in 1995-96. During 2003-04, Rs.1 crore was allotted by the 11 Finance Commission for strengthening works and fixing the cracks.

In 2007-08, Rs.3 crore was allotted for major renovation works, providing a facelift to the palace. This sum was used to change the flooring of galleries in the Mahal besides to strengthen and re-paint its massive pillars. The floorings of the music theatre, ‘Naadaka Salai' and ‘Palli Arai' inside the Mahal were changed to granite floorings.
Renovation, traditional-style

To the extent possible, State Archaeology Department officials said, all the renovation works were carried out using the traditional Chettinad construction materials to ensure that the original heritage of the Mahal was retained.

The officials added that this sum was utilised to carry out much-needed strengthening work inside the Mahal besides some landscaping and decorative work outside the Mahal.

Following several incidents of the palace being damaged during film shoots, the State Government has now completely banned this practice.

However, despite several major efforts taken up by the Archaeology Department, Tourism Department and bodies such as INTACH, scribbling on the pillars continues to take a toll on the Mahal.

“There are 248 pillars in the Mahal,” Mr. Ganesan says, “and it is impossible to watch all of them. The people have to change by themselves. It is the only solution.”

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article2936078.ece

madurakarenda

March 1st, 2012, 10:12 AM

மதுரையின் வரலாறு சொல்லும் யானைமலை.

மதுரையை சுற்றி பசுமலை,திருப்பரங்குன்றம் மலை,நாகமலை,என மலைகளும், குன்றுகளும் இருந்தாலும் மதுரையின் 2500 ஆண்டு வரலாற்றோடு மிகநெருக்கமானது யானைமலை.

இம் மலையில் கி.பி.முதல் நூற்றாண்டை சேர்ந்த தமிழ் பிராமி எழுத்துக்கள் இன்னும் காணக்கிடைக்கின்றன.

''இவகுன்றத்து உறையுள் பாதந்தான்
எரிஆரிதன் அந்துவாயி அரட்டக்காயிபன்''

என்று குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ளது .இதில் இவ குன்றம் என்றால் யானைமலை என்று பொருள், அதாவது ''இந்த யானைமலையில் எரிஆரிதன், அத்துவாயி அரட்டக்காயிபன் ஆகிய இரண்டு சமண முனிவர்களுக்கான கற்படுக்கை''என்பது இந்த வரிகளின் பொருள். ஆக 2500 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பிருந்தே இந்த மலை யானைமலை என்றே அழைக்கப் பட்டிருக்கிறது.மதுரையைக்கு வடக்கு திசையிலிருந்து வருபவர்களுக்கு ஒத்தக்கடை என்ற ஊரை நெருங்கும் போதை யாரும் சொல்லமலேயே யானை படுத்திருப்பது போன்ற தோற்றத்தை தரும் இந்த மலை ஒரு பெரும் பாறை என்பதே உண்மை.இதன் நீளம் சுமார் 4 கி.மீ, அதாவது 4000 மீட்டர் நீளம்,1200 மீட்டர் அகலம், 400 மீட்டர் உயரம் கொண்ட மிகப்பெரிய பாறை உலகிலேயே யானைமலையாகத்தான் இருக்க முடியும்.

கி.பி.முதலாம் நூற்றாண்டு துவங்கி மதுரையின் கலாச்சாரம்,பண்பாடு,இலக்கியம்,சமயசார்ந்த நிகழ்வுகளில் யானைமலை முக்கிய சாட்சியாக இருந்துள்ளது.

கி.பி.7ம் நூற்றாண்டில் இங்கு சமணப்பள்ளி இருந்ததாக திருஞானசம்பந்தர் எழுதிய மதுரைப்பதிகம் கூறுகிறது.

கி.பி. 8ம் நூற்றாண்டில் பராந்தக நெடுஞ்செழியனின் மந்திரி எயினன்,அவன் தம்பி மாரன்காரி இருவரும் நரசிங்கபொருமாள் கோயிலை உருவாகினர்.

கி.பி.9 நூற்றாண்யில் யானைமலையின் தென்பகுயில் அமைந்துள்ள குகையில் சமணப்பள்ளிகள் இருந்ததாகவும் அதன் அருகே சமண முனிவர்கள் தங்கிய இடம் இருந்தாகவும் அறியமுடிகிறது.

இன்றைய ஒத்தக்கடை 9ம் நூற்றாண்டில் நரசிங்கமங்கலம் என்று அழைக்கப்பட்டது.

மாமல்லபுரம் குடைவரை கோயில் போல இங்கு நரசிங்க பொருமாளு க்கும், லாடன்கோயில் என்ற பெயரில் முருகனுக்கும் கோயில்கள் உள்ளன. முருகனுக்கு குடைவரை கோயில் உள்ள ஒரே இடம் இது தான்.

கி.பி.11ம் நூற்றாண்டில் பரஞ்சோதி முனிவர் எழுதிய திருவிளையாடல் புராணத்தில் மதுரையை தாக்க வந்த யானையை சொக்கேசர் நரசிங்கர் கணை தொடுத்துக் கட்டிப் போட்டிருக்கிறார் என்ற ஒரு கதை உள்ளது.அன்றைக்க சமணமதத்திற்கு எதிராக சைவர்களும்,வைணவர்களும் சேர்ந்து சமணத்தை விழ்த்திய வரலாற்றையும் யானைமலை மறைமுகமாக சொல்கிறது.
மேலும் யானைமலையில் அமைந்துள்ள சமணர்கள் வாழ்ந்த குகையின் நெற்றிப்பகுதியில் 9 புடைப்புச்சிற்பங்கள் காணப்படுகின்றன. முக்குடையின் கீழ் அமர்ந்துள்ள சமணதீர்தங்கரர் மகாவீரர், பார்தவநாதர், பாகுபலி, இயக்கிஅம்பிகா,தாமரை மலர்கள் ஆகிய சிற்பங்கள் 2000 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு பின்பும் பார்பவர்களை வியப்பையும் ஆச்சரியத்தையும் ஏற்படுத்துகின்றன.

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/432106_193413260762736_151174804986582_293052_2049430462_n.jpg

Source : facebook

madurakarenda

March 2nd, 2012, 04:27 AM

Tracing the history of self-sacrifice that has been prevalent since the 8th century AD

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00938/01MP_MAMP_MADAPU1_938168e.jpg

From time immemorial, whether it is to express one's supreme love for gods, kings and lords or to express their vehement protest against an authority, people have sacrificed their lives.

The scriptures describe self-sacrifice as the noblest of all sacrifices — dedicating the body, mind and soul to God — but most martyrs killed themselves for a social cause they espoused or for the welfare of their benefactors. Among recent incidents of sacrifice was K. Muthukamar's self-immolation in 2009 against the genocide of minority Sri Lankan Tamils.

Madurai abounds in such acts of selflessness. C. Santhalingam, retired Archaeological Officer, says, “Evidence of self-sacrifice in Tamil Nadu was prevalent even in the 8th and 9th century AD.” In Mahabalipuram, the fifth ratha of Kali , also known as Kotravai, records that self-sacrifice was prevalent. That temple dates from the 8th century.

The earliest record of self-sacrifice near Madurai is found at Madapuram Kali Amman Temple. In the bas-relief sculptures belonging to 9th and 10th century, people are seen in a kneeling position. The inscription refers to two persons – Sithira Sarithan and Vallabhan — and it reads, “Thoongu thalai koduthan Sithira Sarithan” and “Thoongu thalai koduthan Vallabhan.”

In Thenkarai village near Madurai, a similar bas-relief is found opposite the Moola Natha Swamy Temple built in 946-966 AD. On the basis of the features in bas-relief, it is dated from the 10th century, adds Mr. Santhalingam. The structure shows a person slitting his own throat.

Earlier, self-sacrifices were known as ‘Nava Kandam.' People used to have their bodies chopped into nine parts and offered at the altar of Goddess Kali, Mr. Shanthalingam notes and adds that the 12th century court poet of Chola rulers Jeyamkondar refers to ‘Nava Kandam' in his renowned work ‘Kalingathu Parani.'

V. Vedachalam, senior epigraphist, says, “There existed another form of self-sacrifice called ‘Thoongu thalai notral.' When Goddess Kali fulfils the devotee's wish, he chops off his head, which would be tied to the tree.”

At Mallal near Ilayankudi, in the 11th century a soldier sacrificed his life for the welfare of his chieftain during the reign of Kulothunga Chola I (1070-1120). According to an inscription found near the Kali Temple at Mallal, a soldier prays to Kali to cure his master, who is suffering from disease. When his master is cured, the soldier sacrifices his head to Kali. This blood shedding is also known as ‘uthirapatti' and his family members were rewarded with land, says Mr. Vedachalam.

Mr. Santhalingam mentions a similar 10th century inscription at Mannarkottai near Virudhunagar. It narrates that one Velan Seezhapugalan, a resident of Surankudinattu Aathanur, sacrificed his life for the welfare of his master, Kaliyuga Kandadi Dharmachetti.

“One of the five Tamil epics, Manimegalai, authored by Tamil Buddhist poet Seethalai Saathanar, has a reference about ‘Thoongu thalai notral.' The poet describes how the temple tree of Goddess Kali is seen bent with too many heads offered as sacrifice,” adds Mr. Vedachalam.

With time, perhaps the method of dying for a cause took a different form, as at Tiruparankundram and Meenakshi Amman Temples in Madurai. In 1792, the British Army invaded Madurai and destroyed sub-shrines of Tiruparankundram temple, namely Chokkanathar Temple and Palani Andavar Temple located on the western end of the hillock. They also devastated the village.

When the army captured Asthana Mandap and tried to occupy Kalyana Mandap of the Tiruparankundram temple, six temple officials –

Sundara Pattar, Deivendra Pattar, Kutti Pattar, Chidambaram Pillai, Vizhupatharayar and Nallamani Muthu Karuppa Pillai — and members of six security divisions decided to put an end to the atrocities on the village, people and temple.

They lured a temple menial, Vairavi Kutty, son of Muthu Karuppan, to jump off the gopuram as a mark of protest against the entry of the British Army into the temple. For this self-sacrifice, the family of Kutty was rewarded with lands.

“Vairavi is a community who are always ready to sacrifice their lives for any noble cause,” says Mr. Santhalingam.

The self-sacrifice of Kutty was recorded in an inscription and laid on the pathway of the gopuram (Gopura nadai vaasal) exactly between the pillars at the temple's entrance. With frequent use of the pathway, the letters disappeared, says Mr. Santhalingam.

The details of the inscription are recorded in the monograph on Tiruparankundram authored in 1981 by C. Bose, who also worked as a curator at the Museum of Thirumalai Naicker Mahal during that time.

Mr. Bose gives an account of another such incident at the temple. In the 18th century, one Ellappa Mudali, son of Andaraaparana Mudali, fell from the gopuram to establish his right over some property. There are no proper records available about this incident.

The cynosure of Madurai, Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, also has such an inscription at the northern wall of the East Rajagopuram.

According to the inscription, in 1710, during the regime of Vijaya Ranga Chokkanatha Naicker, a resident of Madurai sacrificed his life opposing heavy taxation on temple lands.

In another incident, a person jumped from the eastern tower to highlight poor administration of the temple.

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article2945833.ece

kannan infratech

March 2nd, 2012, 01:30 PM

^^^^

Che

Centuries old Practice innamum nadakkadhu -aana veenap pona political leaders kukaha. :bash:

thillai_selvan

March 12th, 2012, 05:08 AM

Madurai has many residential areas named after political personalities. There are also places like Shenoy Nagar and Gnanaolivupuram, carrying the names of officials who served in the city. But who is Ellis? Many residents of Ellis Nagar, developed by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board in early 1980s, are unaware of the association of Francis Whyte Ellis (1777-1819), a British civil servant in the Madras Presidency, with their colony.

He joined the East India Company's service in 1796 in Madras as a writer. Later, he rose to become the Collector of Madras in 1810, after serving in various positions as Assistant Under Secretary; Deputy Secretary; Secretary, Board of Revenue; Judge of Machilipatnam zilla and Collector of Land Customs of Madras. He died of cholera in Ramanathapuram on March 10, 1819. Ellis was buried in Dindigul.

Francis Ellis is recognised by several scholars, including Robert Caldwell, as the first scholar to classify Tamil, Telugu and Kannada as a family of Dravidian languages.

Thomas R. Trautmann, in his ‘Languages and Nations: The Dravidian Proof in Colonial Madras,' hails the 1816 work of Ellis as “proof of the unity and non-Sanskritic origin of the South Indian languages.”

Ellis was a member of the Madras Literary Society and founder of the College of Fort St. George. He also helped to set up the College Press, which published Veeramamunivar's ‘Kodum Tamizh' in 1813; a Tamil grammar primer, ‘Ilakkana Surukkam,' and Ellis' own translation and commentary of ‘Tirukkural.'

According to available literature, Ellis had a good relationship with Indians and even adopted their customs and way of dressing.

His grave in Dindigul bears inscriptions in English and Tamil. The English inscription reads:

“Uniting activity of mind with versatility of genius, he displayed the same ardour and happy sufficiency on whatever his varied talents were employed. Conversant with the Hindoo languages and Literature of the Peninsula, he was loved and esteemed by the Natives of India, with whom he associated intimately.”

The Housing and Urban Developmentt Department, through a GO (Ms. No. 1534), approved the formation of a residential colony at Ellis Nagar by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board under Tamil Nadu Urban Development Programme on November 9, 1978. Later, in July 1981, it was converted into a TNHB scheme due to paucity of funds.

Source (http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article2986516.ece)

madurakarenda

March 12th, 2012, 05:16 AM

^^ Nice, Interesting and a new history behind the name 'Ellis Nagar' :) Most of the people using the name 'Ellis' don't know this (Me too all these days).

Thanks for sharing this thillai :cheers:!

rsubbu.mdu

March 12th, 2012, 03:53 PM

Nice one Thillai, thanks for sharing. This thread is seeing some very good contribution on the various historical aspects of the city. great job forumers...

madurakarenda

March 21st, 2012, 04:15 PM

மதுரை அருகே கிமு 2ம் நூற்றாண்டு கல்வெட்டு கண்டுபிடிப்பு

மதுரை: மதுரை அருகே கீழக்குயில்குடி சமணமலையில் கிமு 2ம் நூற்றாண்டைச் சேர்ந்த அரிய தமிழ் பிராமி கல்வெட்டு தற்போது கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.
வரலாற்று முக்கியத்துவம் கொண்ட இக்கல்வெட்டை தஞ்சைத் தமிழ் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தின் முனைவர் பட்ட ஆய்வு மாணவர் முத்துக்குமார் கண்டுபிடித்துள்ளார். தமிழகத்தில் இதுவரை 94 கல்வெட்டுகள் மட்டுமே பழமையானதாக அறியப் பட்டுள்ளது.
இதில் 60க்கும் மேற்பட்ட பழமைக் கல்வெட்டுகள் மதுரையைச் சுற்றியே அமைந்துள்ளன.
95வதாக கண்டறியப்பட்டுள்ள தமிழ் பிராமிக் கல்வெட்டும் மதுரை பகுதி யில் அமைவதால் மதுரை யின் வரலாற்றுத் தொன் மையும், மதுரையோடு கொண்ட சமணத் தொடர் பும் கூடுதல் முக்கியத்துவம் பெறுகிறது. மாணவர் முத்துக்குமார் தகவலின்பேரில் மதுரை பாண்டிய நாட்டு வரலாற்று ஆய்வு மைய கல்வெட்டு வல்லுநர்கள் சாந்தலிங்கம், ராஜேந்திரன், சந்திரவாணன் ஆகியோர் ஆய்வு செய்துள்ளனர்.
அவர்கள் கூறுகையில், இந்த கல்வெட்டு ஒரு வரியில், 13 எழுத்துகளைக் கொண்டிருக்கிறது. இக்கல்வெட்டு எழுத்தமைப்பை மாங்குளம், அரிட்டாபட்டி கல்வெட்டுகளோடு ஒப்பிடும்போது, இது கிமு 2ம் நூற்றாண்டைச் சேர்ந்தது தெரிகிறது.
இக்கல்வெட்டு கண்டறியப்பட்டுள்ள கீழக்குயில்குடி மலையில் பேச்சிப்பள்ளம், செட்டிப்புடவு மாதேவி பெரும்பள்ளி எனும் பல சமண சமய சின்னங்கள் ஏற்கனவே அறியப்பட்டுள்ளன. இங்கு ஆயிரம் ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு ஓர் உறைவிடப்பள்ளி செயல்பட்டுள்ளது.

http://www.dinakaran.com/District_Detail.asp?Nid=23374&cat=504

^^ Inscriptions dating back to 2 B.C has been found out in Madurai. Out of 94 ancient such materials, 60 are from Madurai and its surroundings. This is the 95th one and is from Madurai region. So, one could understand how ancient Madurai could have been :cheers: Found near Keezhakkuyilkudi which is already known for ancient Jain caves, etc. A residential school was functioning well before 1000 years.

I get goosebumps while I type this!! :)

madurakarenda

March 25th, 2012, 06:51 AM

^^ A few more details on this :

2,200-year-old Tamil-Brahmi inscription found on Samanamalai

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/01024/TH24_TAMIL_BRAHMI__1024191f.jpg

It is engraved on a boulder in which a drip-ledge has been cut and beds excavated on the rock floor for Jaina monks to rest

A Tamil-Brahmi inscription that pushes back the association of Samanamalai (“Jaina Hill”), 15 km from Madurai, with Jainism to 2,200 years, has been discovered on the hill. Although scholars in Jainism in Tamil Nadu know the existence of bas-relief sculptures of tirthankaras and Tamil Vattellutu inscriptions on the Samanamalai, both datable to 9th-10th century CE, what has surprised them is the recent discovery of the Tamil-Brahmi script on a boulder on the hill's terrace. The script is engraved on the boulder in which a drip-ledge has been cut and beds excavated on the rock floor for the Jaina monks to rest.

V. Vedachalam, former Senior Epigraphist, Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department, and V. Muthukumar, research scholar from Tamil University, Thanjavur, discovered this inscription. The script, which is datable to second century BCE, has 13 letters.

Iravatham Mahadevan, a scholar in Tamil-Brahmi script, called it “a good discovery of genuine importance” and said he was “surprised that it has been overlooked for such a long time.”

Different interpretations of the newly found script have been given by specialists in Tamil-Brahmi. Mr. Mahadevan, who read it as “Peru Thorur Kunra Ko Ayam,” said it recorded the gift of a mountain pool/spring by the chief of the hill at a place called Peru Thorur. He said: “It is clearly an inscription with Jaina affinity because you can see the drip line cut above the inscription, which is carved on the brow of the rock. The letters are very archaic and they are tall and narrow. They belong to the Mankulam and Arittapatti [both situated near Madurai] style of Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions. The archaic nature of the Samanamalai script can be seen from the spelling of the word ‘ayam,' which means a mountain pool of water or spring.”

Dr. Y. Subbarayalu, Head, Indology, French Institute of Pondicherry, and Dr. Vedachalam have read it as “Peru Tho Ur Uzhithegne Ayam.”

According to Dr. Subbarayalu, the word “ayam”, besides occurring at Samanamalai, had been used in the Tamil-Brahmi inscription at Mudalaikulam, about 10 km to the west of Samanamalai. “We can call ‘ayam' a spring or a cave. The Mudalaikulam inscription uses the word ‘Perayam', which means a big tank. There is more of a possibility to call it a cave,” Dr. Subbarayalu said. There were chances of obtaining different readings for the Samanamalai script. For instance, “The Ur” could be read as “Tho Ur.” The word “Uzhithegne” could be a personal name, he added.

In Dr. Vedachalam's interpretation, the script refers to an “ayam” dug by a man called Uzhithegne of Perunthevur. Specialists had argued that the word meant a water tank (“Kulam” in Tamil). “Ayam” could also mean a “crater” (“pallam”). A water tank did not fit into the context of where Jaina monks stayed, the Senior Epigraphist said. So “ayam,” in the Samanamalai context, could refer to the drip-ledge cut on the rock's brow or the beds cut on the floor. Thus the word “ayam” established that it was a place where the Jaina monks stayed, Dr. Vedachalam said. “Perunthevur” could have existed near where the inscription had been found. Both “Uzhithegneyan,” the name of a person, and “Thevur”, the name of a village, belonged to the Tamil Sangam age.

Dr. C. Santhalingam, former Archaeological Officer, Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology, called it “a remarkable discovery which pushes back the association of Jainism with this hill to more than 2,200 years.” He read it as “Peru Te Rur Kuzhiththai Ayam,” which meant these rock beds were carved by the villagers of Peru Therur. The word “Therur” could be read as “Thenur” because the fourth letter in the script looked like the dental “nu”. Thenur, now located near Sholavandan in Madurai district, found mention in the Sangam texts, Dr. Santhalingam said.

Kuzhiththai meant dug out or excavated. Ayam meant rock shelter or bed. Ayam was the corrupt form of “ayanam” or “sayanam.”

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article3220674.ece

:cheers:

madurakarenda

March 29th, 2012, 01:19 PM

“ Megasthenes visited the temple city and Kautilya's Arthashastra makes a mention about Madurai”

Those who have any second thoughts about Madurai would prove to be wrong if they go through the chief guest's convocation address which was delivered at the Madurai Kamaraj University's 45 annual convocation held here on Wednesday.

G.Padmanaban, distinguished scientist and former Director of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, who had nothing much to do with Madurai in his career, has turned out to be a messiah for Madurai calling upon everyone to preserve the rich legacy of historic Temple City.

“I am overwhelmed by the historical, cultural and scholastic ambience of this great city. I may be carrying coal to Newcastle, but I want to recount the glory of this great city,” he said.

The scientist in him took a backseat for a while as he turned to history and referred to the past of Madurai. “The documented history from 3 century B.C., from the Sangam age through the Khalabras, Pandya and Chola dynasties followed by a regime under Tughlaks, Vijayanagar empire, rule by Nayaks, the British rule to the present day Madurai in independent India is fascinating and riveting,” he expressed.

Further, he said that history will not be complete without the mention of Rani Mangammal, an able and powerful ruler. Megasthenes visited the temple city and Kautilya's Arthashastra makes a mention about Madurai. “Meenakshi Amman temple is not only an edifice for spirituality but an architectural marvel. The entire city is visualised as a lotus, built around the great temple with concentric/rectangular students thereby symbolising the cosmos. Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal, Periyapallivasal (Big Mosque) and St. Mary's Cathedral are symbols of the outlook of people here and they are beyond just tourist spots,” Dr.Padmanaban said. During the golden age of Tamil literature, Madurai was the seat of Tamil Sangam. ‘Silappathikaram', Thiruvilayadal Puranam and Thirumurugatrupadai define the literary and spiritual ambience of great city bequeathing a past.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/article3258073.ece

:cheers:

madurakarenda

April 1st, 2012, 05:20 AM

தமிழ் எழுத்து வடிவத்தின் தொன்மை 2200 ஆண்டுகள் பழமையானது என்பதற்கு சமணர்மலையில் கிடைத்திருக்கும் சான்றுகள் மற்றும் இலங்கையின் தெற்கில் கிடைத்திருக்கும் தமிழ்வணிகர்களின் நாணயங்கள் குறித்து கல்வெட்டு ஆய்வாளர் ஐராவதம் மகாதேவனின் செவ்வி

http://www.bbc.co.uk/tamil/multimedia/2012/03/120327_sciencemarch272012.shtml

^^ An audio on Tamil script history :) Because of those found in Samanarmalai near Madurai

madurakarenda

April 10th, 2012, 08:01 PM

தமிழ் – பிராமிக் கல்வெட்டுகளில் சாதி ஏற்றத்தாழ்வுக் கருத்து இருந்ததா?

பழமையான தமிழ் எழுத்துகள் 'பிராமி’ என்று குறிக்கப்படுகின்றன. தமிழ் பிராமியைப் பழமையான தமிழ் எனும் பொருளில் 'தமிழி’ என்று அறிஞர்கள் குறிப்பிடுவதும் நோக்கற்குரியது.
'தமிழ் பிராமி கல்வெட்டுகள் காட்டும் தமிழகச் சமூகப் பொருளாதார நிலை’ எனும் கட்டுரையில், தமிழ் நாடு அரசு தொல்லியல் துறை சிறப்பு ஆணையர் திரு. தி. ஸ்ரீ. ஸ்ரீதர் அவர்கள், பழந் தமிழரிடையே தொழிலை அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்ட பெயர்கள்தாம் இருந்தனவே தவிர சாதியை அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்ட பெயர்கள் இல்லை என்பதைத் தெளிவாக எடுத்துக் காட்டியுள்ளார். சாதி, இன ஏற்றத்தாழ்வுக் கொள்கை என்பது இந்தியப் பண்பாட்டோடு பின்னிப்பிணைந்தது என்றும் இக்கொள்கை இந்தியரின் மிகப் பழமையான கொள்கை என்றும் கூறப்படும் கருத்துகள் தவறானவை.
கி.பி. 7 ஆம் நூற்றாண்டிற்குப் பின் ஆரியவர்த்தத்தில் ஆரியரால் உருவாக்கப்பட்ட கொள்கையே சாதி, இன ஏற்றத்தாழ்வுக் கொள்கை. இக்கொள்கை இந்தியாவிற்கு வந்த அந்நியர் உருவாக்கிய கொள்கை. இக் கொள்கை இந்தியரின் கொள்கை அன்று, இந்தியப் பண்பாட்டோடு பின்னிப் பிணைந்த பழமையான கொள்கையும் அன்று.
இக்காலத்தில் ஒரே குடும்பத்தில் பொறியாளர், ஆசிரியர், மருத்துவர் எனப் பல தொழில்களைப் புரிபவர்களும் இருப்பதைப் போன்று சங்க காலத்தில் இருந்துள்ளனர் என்பதைச் சங்க இலக்கியங்கள் வழி அறிகின்றோம். உலகம் முழுவதும் தொழில் வேறுபாடுகள் இருக்கின்றன. ஆனால், சாதி வேறுபாடு இந்தியாவில் மட்டுமே இருக்கின்றது. சாதி, தொழில் அடிப்படையில் வந்தது என்பது தவறான கருத்தாகும். சாதிக்கும் தொழிலுக்கும் எந்தத் தொடர்பும் இல்லை. இந்தியாவில் 'இழிதொழில்’ ஆதிக்கவாதிகளால் சமூகத்தின் மீது திணிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. யாராவது 'மலம் அள்ளும் தொழிலை’ விரும்பி ஏற்பார்களா? யாருமே விரும்பி ஏற்கமாட்டார்கள்தானே. ஆனால், இந்த 'இழிதொழில்’ இந்தியாவில் அடக்குமுறை சார்ந்ததாக உள்ளது.
சாதியை அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்ட பெயர்கள் காணப்படாமல் தொழிலை அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்ட பெயர்களே பழந் தமிழரிடையே இருந்தன என்பதை அறிந்து கொள்ளத் துணை புரிகின்றது இக்கட்டுரை. ஆழ்ந்து நோக்குவோம்.
- தெ. தேவகலா

'தமிழ் பிராமி கல்வெட்டுகள் காட்டும் தமிழகச் சமூகப் பொருளாதார நிலை’
- தி. ஸ்ரீ. ஸ்ரீதர்
தமிழ் பிராமி கல்வெட்டுகள் மூலமாக அக்காலச் சமூகம், பொருளியல் வாழ்வைப் பற்றி அறியக் கிடைக்கும் செய்திகள் குறைவே. பொன்னையும் பொருளையும் வெறுத்து, துறவு வாழ்வை மேற்கொண்ட துறவியரையும் அவர்களது இருப்பிடங்களையும் அவற்றை உருவாக்கிக் கொடுத்த கொடையாளர்களையும் பற்றியே இவை கூறுகின்றன. எனினும் இக்குகைத்தளங்களைக் கல்தச்சர்களைக் கொண்டு பொருள் செலவுசெய்து உருவாக்கிய கொடையாளிகள் மற்றும் அவர்கள் அளித்த கொடைகள் மூலம் சமூகப் பொருளாதாரச் செய்திகளை நம்மால் ஊகிக்கமுடியும்.
குடிகள்
நால்வருணப் பாகுபாட்டை தமிழ்-பிராமி கல்வெட்டுகள் குறிப்பிடவில்லை. பல்வேறு தொழில் செய்த குடியினர் பெயர்களே அறக்கொடையாளராகக் கல்வெட்டுகளில் குறிப்பிடப்படுகின்றன. சங்ககாலச் சமூகம் தொழில் அடிப்படையில் பிரிந்த குடிநிறை சமூகமாகவே இருந்துள்ளது என்பதை இலக்கியங்களும் காட்டுகின்றன. தமிழ் – பிராமி கல்வெட்டுகளில் கீழ்க்காணும் குடியினர் பற்றித் தெரியவருகிறது.
இளையர்
சித்தன்னவாசல் கல்வெட்டில் முனவர்களது குகைத்தளத்தை உருவாக்கிய அறக்கொடையாளராக இளையர் என்ற குடியினர் குறிப்பிடப்படுகின்றனர். இவர்கள் படைத் தொழிலை மேற்கொண்ட குடியினராகச் சங்ககாலத்தில் திகழ்ந்துள்ளனர். முத்துப்பட்டி கல்வெட்டில் குறிப்பிடப்படும் எளமகன் (இளமகன்) இக்குடியினரைச் சார்ந்தவனாகவே இருக்க வேண்டும். செங்கம் நடுகல் கல்வெட்டுகளில் போர்த் தொழில் செய்த படைவீரர்கள் இளமகன் என்றே
குறிப்பிடப்படுகின்றனர். எனவே இளமகன் அல்லது இளமக்கள் என்பவர்கள் அரசனிடத்திலோ அல்லது சிறுகுடித்தலைவர்களிடத்திலோ பணிபுரிந்த படைத்தொழில் புரியும் குடியினராக இருக்க வேண்டும் எனலாம்.
ஈழக் குடும்பிகன்
திருப்பரங்குன்றம் கல்வெட்டில் ஈழக்குடும்பிகன் போலாலயன் என்பவன் குறிப்பிடப்படுகின்றான். இவன் எருகாட்டூரில்இருந்த ஈழநாட்டைச் (இலங்கை) சார்ந்த குடியினராக இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று சிலர் கருதுகின்றனர். சங்க இலக்கியப் புலவர்களில் ஒருவராக ஈழத்துப் பூதன்தேவனார் விளங்கியுள்ளார் என்பது இங்கு குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது...
மலைய்வண்ணக்கன் - மணிய்வண்ணக்கன்
அரச்சலூர் கல்வெட்டில் வரும் அறக்கொடையாளர் பெயரை இருவிதமாகப் படித்துள்ளனர். மலைய்வண்ணக்கன் என்று இதனைப் படித்த மகாதேவன் மலைசார்ந்த குடியினைச் சார்ந்தவன் என்று இவனைக் கருதுகின்றார்.2 கொங்கு நாட்டில் கொங்கு வேளாளரில் வண்ணக்கர் கோத்திரம் என்ற பிரிவு இன்றும் வழங்கப்படுகிறது. வண்ணக்கன் என்பதற்கு மேலும் ஒரு பொருள் சொல்லப்படுகிறது. வர்ணகா என்பதற்கு பாடல் வல்ல இசையாசிரியன் என்று பொருள் கூறி இவன் அரச்சலூர் இசைக்கல்வெட்டை உருவாக்கியவன் என்று கருதுகின்றனர். மணிய் வண்ணக்கன் என்று இக்கல்வெட்டைப் படிப்பவர்கள் மணிகளைப் பரிசோதிக்கும் தொழிலை மேற்கொண்டவன் இவன் என்று கருதுகின்றனர்.
சங்கப் புலவர்களில் வண்ணக்கன் என்ற பெயரைப் பெற்ற புதுக்கயத்து வண்ணக்கன் சம்பூர்கிழான், வடம வண்ணக்கன் தாமோதரன்,வண்ணக்கன் கோமருங்குமரனார் என்ற புலவர்கள் இருந்துள்ளமை இங்குக் குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.
வேள்
வேள் என்று பெயர் பெற்ற குடியினர் சங்க காலத்தில் புகழுடன் வாழ்ந்துள்ளனர். கடையேழு வள்ளல்களில் சிலர் இவ்வேளிர் குடியினரைச் சார்ந்தவர்கள் ஆவார்கள். மேட்டுப்பட்டி கல்வெட்டில் குவிரஅந்தை வேள் அதன் (வேளாதன்) என்பவன் குறிப்பிடப்படுகின்றான்.
கொல்லர், தச்சர்
பொன் செய் கொல்லன், பாறையை உடைத்துக் கட்டடங்களை உருவாக்கும் தச்சர் பெயர்கள் அழகர்மலை, மாமண்டூர் தமிழ் – பிராமி கல்வெட்டுகளில் குறிப்பிடப்படுகின்றன.
வணிகர்
வணிகர்கள் பெருமளவு சமண சமயத்திற்கு ஆதரவு அளித்திருக்கின்றனர். அழகர்மலை, மாங்குளம், புகளூர் முதலிய இடங்களிலுள்ள கல்வெட்டுகள் இதற்குச் சிறந்த சான்றுகளாக உள்ளன. பாண்டியரின் தலைநகரான மதுரை வணிகத்தில் சிறந்து விளங்கிய நகரமாக இருந்துள்ளதை மதுரைக்காஞ்சி, சிலப்பதிகாரம் போன்ற இலக்கியங்கள் மூலம் அறியமுடிகிறது. பல்வேறு வணிகம் செய்த வணிகரின் கடைத்தெருக்கள் மதுரையில் இருந்துள்ளன. பல நாடுகளைச் சார்ந்த வணிகர் இதில் தங்கியிருந்து வணிகம் செய்துள்ளனர். மதுரையில் இருந்து பல பொருட்களைக் கொண்டு வணிகம் செய்த வணிகர்கள் சேர்ந்து அழகர்மலைப் பள்ளியை உருவாக்கியுள்ளனர். அவர்களது பெயர்கள் பின்வருமாறு கல்வெட்டுகளில் குறிப்பிடப்படுகின்றது.
1. மதிரை பொன்கொல்வன் அதன்அதன்
2. உபு வாணிகன் வியகன் (உப்பு வணிகன்)
3. பாணித வாணிகன் நெடுமலன்
4. கொழு வாணிகன் எளசந்தன்
5. வெண்பள்ளி அறுவை வணிகன் எளஅ அடன்
இவர்கள் அனைவரும் தொடர்ச்சியாக அமைந்த நீண்ட இரு கல்வெட்டுகளில் குறிப்பிடப்படுகின்றனர். தொடக்கத்தில் குறிக்கப்படும் மதிரையை (மதுரை) இவர்கள் அனைவருக்கும் உரிய ஊர் என்று கொள்ளலாம். மதுரையைச் சார்ந்த பொன்வணிகன் இங்கு குறிப்பிடப்படுகின்றான். ஆனால் இவன் பெயர் குறிப்பிடப்படவில்லை. சங்க காலத்தில் உப்பு வணிகம் குறிப்பிடத்தக்க அளவில் நடைபெற்றிருக்கிறது. நெல்லும் உப்பும் ஓரே விலையாகச் சங்ககாலத்தில் இருந்துள்ளன. நெல்லை வாங்கிக் கொண்டு உப்பை அதே அளவு பண்டமாற்றாகக்
கொடுத்துள்ளனர். (அகம் 140, 340). இதனால் உப்பு வணிகர் வணிகர்களில் உயர்ந்த இடத்தைப் பெற்றிருந்தனர். அழகர்மலைக் கல்வெட்டில் வியகன் என்ற உப்புவணிகன் குறிப்பிடப்படுகின்றான்.
பாணிதவாணிகன் நெடுமலன் என்பவன் அழகர்மலைக் கல்வெட்டில் அறக்கொடையாளராக இடம் பெற்றுள்ளான். பணிதம் என்றால் சர்க்கரை என்று பொருள் கூறி இவன் சர்க்கரை வியாபாரியாக இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று ஐராவதம் மகாதேவன் கருதுகின்றார். பளிதம் என்ற சொல்லே கல்வெட்டில் பாணித என்று குறிப்பிடப்படுகிறது. பளிதம் என்றால் பச்சைக்கற்பூரம் என்று பொருள். சங்க காலத்தில் அதனை அடைகாயோடு (பாக்கு) சேர்த்து அருந்தினர். எனவே, பாணித வணிகன் என்பவன் பச்சைக்கற்பூர வியாபாரியாக இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று மயிலை. சீனி. வேங்கடசாமி கருதுகின்றார்.3 கொழு வணிகன் கலப்பை வியாபாரம் செய்யும் வணிகன் என்று ஐ.மகாதேவன் கருதுகின்றார்.4 இரா. நாகசாமி இவன் இரும்பு வியாபாரியாக இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று கூறுகின்றார்.5 சங்க காலத்தில் துணியை வியாபாரம் செய்த வணிகர்கள் அறுவை வணிகர் என்றழைக்கப்பட்டனர். வெண்பள்ளி என்ற ஊரைச் சார்ந்த இளஆட்டன் (எளஅஅடன்) அழகர்மலைக் கல்வெட்டில் குறிப்பிடப்படுகின்றான். மதுரையில் அறுவை வாணிகம் செய்த சங்கப்புலவர் ஒருவர் இருந்துள்ளார். இவர் இளவேட்டனார் என்றழைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளார். சங்கப் பாடல்கள் சிலவற்றைப் பாடியுள்ள மதுரையைச் சார்ந்த புலவர்கள் சிலர் வணிகர்களாக இருந்தமை இங்கு ஒப்பு நோக்கத்தக்கது. அவர்கள் மதுரைக் கொல்லன் புல்லன், மதுரைப் பொன்செய் கொல்லன் வெண்ணாகனார், மதுரைப் பண்டவாணிகன் இளந்தேவனார், மதுரை ஓலைக்கடைக் கண்ணம் புகுந்தாராய்த்தனார், மதுரை ஓலைக்கடையத்தார் நல்வெள்ளையார் ஆகியோராவர்.
சங்ககாலத்தில் சேரரின் தலைநகராக விளங்கிய கருவூரும் வணிகச் சிறப்பு பெற்ற நகரமாகத் திகழ்ந்துள்ளது. கருவூருக்கு அருகில் அமைந்த புகளூர்ச் சமணப் பள்ளிக் கல்வெட்டில், கருவூர் பொன்வணிகன் நந்தி என்பவன் குறிப்பிடப்படுகின்றான். இவனும் சமண முனிவர்களுக்குப் படுக்கை அமைத்துக் கொடுத்துள்ளான். புகளூர் கல்வெட்டில் எண்ணைவணிகன் வெநிஆதன் (வெண்ணி ஆதன்) என்பவன் குறிப்பிடப்படுகின்றான்.
நிகமம்
வெள்ளறை என்ற ஊர் கி.மு. இரண்டாம் நூற்றாண்டளவில் வணிகத் தளமாக விளங்கியதை மாங்குளம் கல்வெட்டுகள் உணர்த்துகின்றன. இவ்வூர் நிகமத்தினைச் சர்ந்தவர்கள் மாங்குளம் மலையில் முனிவர்களது உறைவிடங்களை அமைத்துக் கொடுத்துள்ளனர். நிகமம் என்றால் வணிகர்குழு அல்லது வணிகருக்குரிய கடைத்தெரு என்று பொருள். நிகமம் என்பதே சங்க இலக்கியத்தில் நியமம் என்று குறிப்பிடப்படுகிறது. சங்க காலத்தில் பல முக்கிய நகரங்களைச் சார்ந்து நியமங்கள் இருந்திருக்கின்றன.
மாங்குளம் கல்வெட்டு குறிப்பிடும் வெள்ளறை மாங்குளம் மலைக்கு அருகில் அமைந்த ஊராகும். தற்போது இது வெள்ளரிப்பட்டி என்ற பெயரில் வழங்குகிறது. கல்வெட்டில் குறிப்பிடப்படும் இவ்வூரில் இருந்த நிகமத்தில் பல வணிகர்கள்சேர்ந்து குழுவாக வாழ்ந்துள்ளனர். மதுரைக்கு அருகில் அமைந்த இவ்வூரில் பாண்டியரின் தலைநகரில் வணிகம் செய்ய ஏதுவாக நிகமம் ஒன்று இங்கு அமைக்கப்பட்டிருக்க வேண்டும். இது பெருவழியில் பயணம் செய்த வணிகர்கள் தங்கவும் பொள்களை வைத்துப் பாதுகாக்கவும் விற்பனை செய்யவும் பயன்பட்டிருக்க வேண்டும். காவிதி என்ற பட்டம் பெற்ற வணிகர்கள்வெள்ளறை நிகமத்தில் இருந்துள்ளதை மாங்குளம் கல்வெட்டு தெரிவிக்கிறது.
தொழில்கள்
பொன்னைக் கொண்டு ஆபரணங்கள் செய்தல். கடலிருந்து உப்பை எடுத்தல், கரும்பிலிருந்து சர்க்கரை எடுத்தல், ஆடை நெய்தல், இரும்பை உருக்கி கலப்பை போன்ற பொருட்கள் செய்தல் எள்ளிலிருந்து எண்ணெய் எடுத்தல் முதலிய தொழில்கள் சிறப்பாகநடைபெற்றுள்ளதை அழகர்மலை, புகளூர் கல்வெட்டுகள் மூலம் உய்த்தறிய முடிகிறது. கல்லை உடைத்து கட்டடங்களை உருவாக்குதல்
சங்க காலத்திலேயே தொடங்கி விட்டது என்பதற்குத் தமிழ்பிராமி கல்வெட்டுக்
குகைத்தளங்களே சிறந்த சான்றுகளாகும். மாமண்டூர் கல்வெட்டில் அக்குகைத்தளத்தினை உருவாக்கிய தச்சன் பெயர் குறிப்பிடப்படுகிறது. மலையைக் குடைந்து குகைத்தளத்தினை உருவாக்கும் தொழிலை 'குயித்தல்’ (குடைத்தல்) என்று கொங்கர்புளியங்குளம் கல்வெட்டு குறிப்பிடுகிறது.
செலாவணி (காசுகள்)
கொங்கர்புளியங்குளம், அழகர்மலை கல்வெட்டுகளில் குகைத்தளங்களை உருவாக்கியவர்களின் பெயர்கள் உள்ள கல்வெட்டுகளில் அவர்கள் பெயருக்குப் பின்னர் குறியீடுகள் காணப்படுகின்றன. இவை குகைத்தளத்தினை உருவாக்கச் செலவுசெய்த பொன்னைக் குறிக்கும் குறியீடுகள் என்று மயிலை. சீனி. வேங்கடசாமி கருதுகின்றார். இக்குறியீடுகள் முத்திரை குத்திய காசுகளில் காணப்படுவது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது. கொங்கர் புளியங்குளம் கல்வெட்டில் காசினைக் குறிக்க வரும் வெபோன் என்ற சொல் சங்ககாலத்தில் காசுகள் வழக்கத்தில் இருந்ததைக் காட்டுகிறது. 'வெண்பொன்’ என்பதே கல்வெட்டில் 'வெபோன்’ என்று குறிப்பிடப்படுகிறது. இக்காசு தமிழ்-பிராமி கல்வெட்டுகள் பொறிக்கப்பட்ட காலத்தில் இந்தியநாடெங்கும் புழக்கத்தில் இருந்த முத்திரை குத்தப்பட்ட வெள்ளி நாணயமாக இருக்க வேண்டும்.
வேளாண்மை
விக்கிரமங்கலம் கல்வெட்டில் வரும் பேர்அயம் என்ற சொல் ஏரியைக் குறிப்பதாக மகாதேவன்கருதுகின்றார்.6 வரிச்சியூர் கல்வெட்டு நூறு கலம் நெல் பற்றித் தெரிவிப்பதாகக் கூறுகின்றார்.7 இவை தமிழ் - பிராமி கல்வெட்டுகளின் காலத்தில் வேளாண் நீர் பாசன வசதிகள், வேளாண் விளைச்சல், அவற்றின் விளைச்சல் மிகுதி, பகிர்மானம் ஆகியவற்றை உணர்த்துகின்றன.
தமிழ் -பிராமி கல்வெட்டுகளின் காலத்தில் இருந்த சமுதாயப் பொருளாதார நிலை வருமாறு:
1. வேள் நிலையிலிருந்து வேந்தர் நிலைக்குமாறியதாகவும் வேள் மற்றும் குடிநிலை எச்சங்களை உடையதாகவும் விளங்கியது.
2. வேளாண்மை வளர்ச்சிக்கு உறுதுணையான பாசன வசதிகளில் கவனம் செலுத்தப்பட்டதால் ஏரி பராமரிப்புகள் (பேரயம்) நெல், கரும்பு, எள், பருத்தி முதலிய பயிர் உற்பத்திகள்; கரும்பிலிருந்து சர்க்கரை (பாணித), எள்ளிலிருந்து எண்ணெய், பஞ்சிலிருந்து துணி (அறுவை), உழவிற்கு உபகரணமான கொழு (கலப்பை) உற்பத்தி என வேளாண்சார் ஆலைத் தொழில்கள் இவை தொடர்பான வணிகம் ஆகிய குறிப்புகள் தமிழ் - பிராமி கல்வெட்டுகளில் காணப்படுகின்றன எனலாம்.
3. பொன், வெள்ளி, மணிக்கற்கள், பற்றிய குறிப்புகள் தமிழ் – பிராமி கல்வெட்டுகளில் காணப்படுவதும், முத்திரை குத்திய காசுகளின் குறியீடுகள் காணப்படுவதும் அக்கால செலாவணிகளின் தன்மையையும் சமூகத்தின் போகத்துய்ப்பு நிலையையும் காட்டுகின்றன.
4. முசிறி, தொண்டி முதலிய பண்டைத் துறைமுகங்களின் பெயர்கள் கடல் கடந்த பன்னாட்டு வணிகத்தை உணர்த்துகின்றன.
5. அழகர்மலையில் ஐந்து வகை வணிகர்களும் புகளூரில் இருவகை வணிகர்களும், மாங்குளத்தில் வணிகநிகமமும் தமிழ்-பிராமி கல்வெட்டுகளில் குறிக்கப்படுவதிலிருந்துபல்வகை வணிகர்களும் ஓரிடத்தில் கூடும் நடைமுறை இருந்ததையும் அவர்கள் கட்டுக் கோப்புடன் குழுக்கள் அமைத்துக் கொண்டதையும் அறிய முடிகிறது.
6. ஆட்பெயர்களில் நிறைய பிராகிருதப் பெயர்கள் உள்ளதும் சாதவாகனர் காசில் தமிழ்-பிராமி உள்ளதும் தமிழ் நாட்டுடனான தக்கண, வட இந்திய வணிகத்தைக் காட்டுவனவாகும்.
7. பானை ஓடுகளில் கீரல்களாக உள்ள தமிழ்-பிராமி சொற்கள் கடல் கடந்து இந்தோ - ரோமானிய வணிகத்தையும், உரைக்கல்லில் காணப்படும் தமிழ்-பிராமி பொறிப்பு கிழக்காசிய வணிகத்தையும் தமிழகம் பெற்றிருந்தது எனத் தெளிவாகக்
காட்டுகின்றன.

http://www.keetru.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19346:2012-04-10-15-23-30&catid=25:tamilnadu&Itemid=137

madurakarenda

April 11th, 2012, 04:47 AM

வாழ்வு – வரலாறு – புனைவு

மண்ணுக்குள் புதையுண்டு கிடக்கும் இப்புராதன நகரத்தின் வேர்கள் எங்கெங்கோ ஓடிமறைந்துள்ளன. இன்றுள்ள இந்நகரம் எழுப்பப்படும் முன்பே எரிக்கப்பட்டது. எரிக்கப்படுவதற்கு முன்பே சிறப்பாக எழுப்பப்பட்டிருக்கிறது. இதன் வேர் நெருப்புக்கும் சாம்பலுக்கும் இடையில் ஊடுருவிக் கிடக்கிறது. அழிவைச் சுற்றிச் சுற்றியே பின்னிக் கிடக்கிறது. ஆனாலும் அழியாமல் இருக்கிறது.
- சு.வெங்கடேசன், காவல்கோட்டம்.
காவல்கோட்டம் குறித்து பதிவெழுதவே மலைப்பாக உள்ளது. மதுரை குறித்த நாவல் எனும்போது ஒவ்வொரு பகுதியுமே எனக்கு முக்கியமாகத் தோன்றுகிறது. எனக்கு மிகவும் பிடித்த புத்தகங்கள் பட்டியலில் காவல்கோட்டத்துக்குத் தனியிடம் உண்டு.பாண்டியர்களிலிருந்து இன்று வரை எத்தனையோ பேர் மதுரையை ஆண்டார்கள். மதுரையை அடக்கி ஆள நினைத்தவர்கள் எல்லாம் அடங்கிப்போனார்கள். வழக்கம்போல இறுதியில் அதிகாரங்கள் எல்லாம் மண்ணோடு மண்ணாய்ப் போனது. ஆனால், ஆதியிலிருந்து இன்றுவரை மதுரை எல்லாவற்றையும் பார்த்து புன்னகைத்துக் கொண்டேயிருக்கிறது. மதுரை உலகின் தொல் நகரம். அது எளிய மக்களின் நம்பிக்கைகளிலும், கதைகளிலும் வாழ்கிறது. அதன் தொன்மை ஒவ்வொரு வீதிகளிலும், மலைகளிலும் படிந்து கிடக்கிறது. காவல்கோட்டம் பதின்மூன்றாம் நூற்றாண்டிலிருந்து பத்தொன்பதாம் நூற்றாண்டு தொடக்கம் வரையிலான மதுரையின் கதையைப் பேசுகிறது. 600 ஆண்டுகளாக மதுரை அடைந்த மாற்றங்களை கதையினூடாக அற்புதமாகப் பதிவு செய்திருக்கிறார் காவல்கோட்டத்தை வாசிக்கத்தொடங்கியதும் அமணமலை ஆலமரத்தடியில் அமர்ந்து கதை பேசிக் கொண்டிருக்கும் பெரியாம்பிளைகளும், கிழவிகளும் மற்றும் வீதிகளில் திரியும் காவக்காரர்களும் ரொம்பநாள் பழகினவர்கள்போல நெருக்கமானார்கள். வாசித்தபின் மதுரை, அமணமலை, களவு, காவல், கோட்டைகள், அரசு பற்றியெல்லாம் பேசிக்கொண்டே திரிந்தேன். எங்கம்மா பிறந்த கிராமத்தில் வயல்களில் கருதைக் கசக்கிட்டி போவதைப் பத்தி முன்பு சொன்னபோது அதெப்படி ஒரு வயக்காட்டு நெல்லை கசக்கி எடுத்துட்டுப் போகமுடியும் என்று சந்தேகப்பட்டேன். இந்நாவல் வாசித்தபோதுதான் எப்படி கருதைக் கசக்கிட்டு போவாங்க என்பதை அறிந்தேன்.
கருதைக் கசக்கச் செல்லும் கொத்தின் நிலையாள் காவலுக்கு நிற்க மற்றவர்கள் உள்நுழைந்து கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமாக நெற்கதிர்களை மட்டும் உருவி மடியில் போட்டு கொஞ்சம் நிறைய வரப்பில் வைத்துள்ள சாக்கில் போட்டுத் திருடுகிறார்கள். யாரேனும் வருவதுபோல் தெரிந்தால் நிலையாள் கொடுக்கும் சமிக்கை மூலம் வயலில் பதுங்கிக்கொள்வார்கள். இப்படித்தான் வயலில் கருதைக்கசக்கி நெல் திருடுகிறார்கள். இப்படித்திருடு போவதால் அந்தக் கிராமத்தில் காவக்காரர்கள் இல்லையென்றால் காவலுக்கு ஆள் போடுகிறார்கள். இப்படி களவின் மூலம் காவலையும் அடைகிறார்கள். சமீபத்தில்கூட ஒரு வங்கியில் திருட வந்தவர் எப்படி திருட முயன்றார் என்று காவல்துறையினருக்கு விளக்கிக்காட்டிவிட்டு “இதுக்கு அப்புறமும் வாட்ச்மேன் போடலை பாருங்க” என கேலியாக சொன்னது ஞாபகம் வருகிறது. களவிலிருந்துதான் காவல் பிறக்கிறது. இந்நாவலில் வெங்கடேசன் களவையும் காவலையும் அருமையாக பதிவு செய்துள்ளார்.
இளமையிலிருந்தே களவுக்கு செல்வதற்கு ஊர்பெருசுகள் சிறுவர்களுக்கு பயிற்சி கொடுக்கிறார்கள். ஓடுறது, தாண்டுறது, எறியிறது, தூக்குறது, சாப்பிடுறது என ஐந்து பயிற்சிகள் அடிப்படை. அப்போதுதான் களவின் போது யாரிடமும் சிக்காமல் தப்பித்து வர முடியும். களவுக்கு சென்று தேர்ந்த ஒருவன்தான் காவக்காரனாகிறான். தங்கள் காவலின் போது களவு போனால் அது காவக்காரர்கள் பொறுப்பு. திருடிய தடத்தை வைத்து எந்த ஊர்க்காரன் திருடிப் போயிருப்பான் எனக்கண்டறிந்து திருடிய பொருளை மீட்டுக்கொடுக்கிறார்கள். களவின் போது நிலையாள் கம்பாகவும், மொண்டிக்கம்மாகவும் இருந்த கம்பு காவலின் போது காவக்கம்பாக மாறுகிறது. அவனுடைய தள்ளாத வயதில் அதுவே ஊண்டுகம்பாகிறது. ஊர்பெரியாம்பிள மாயாண்டியின் கம்பு நிலைக்கம்பாக, காவக்கம்பாக, ஊண்டுகம்பாக இருக்கிறது. அவருடைய கம்பே பல வருடக்கதைகளை அறியும்.
காவக்காரர்களை ஒழிக்க ஆங்கிலேய அரசு பலவாறு முயற்சிக்கிறது. அதற்காக போலீஸ்படையை நிறுவியது. மதுரை கீழமாசிவீதி விளக்குத்தூண் அருகிலுள்ள காவல்நிலையம்தான் மதுரையில் உருவாக்கப்பட்ட முதல் காவல்நிலையம். போலீஸ்க்காரர்களின் பலத்தை அதிகரித்து தாதனூர் காவக்காரர்களை ஒடுக்க அரசு முயல்கிறது. தாதனூர் தன்னுடைய காவலை இழக்காமல் தக்கவைக்க ஒருபுறம் போராடுகிறது. நாவலின் பாதிக்கதை காவலை இழக்காமல் போராடுவதில்தான் நகர்கிறது. அதை மிகவும் சுவாரசியமாக சு.வெங்கடேசன் பதிவு செய்திருக்கிறார். இறுதியில் அதிகாரத்தின் மூலம் கள்ளர்கள், குறவர்கள் போன்ற நிறைய இனக்குழுக்களை கைரேகைத்தடைச்சட்டத்தின் மூலம் ஒடுக்குகிறது.
ஆனால், இன்றும் தனியார் காவலையும், களவையும் ஒழிக்க அரசால் முடியவில்லை. வேலைவாய்ப்பையும், அடிப்படை வசதிகளையும் நிறைவேற்றாமல் நாட்டின் பாதுகாப்பிற்காகவென காவல்துறைக்கும், ராணுவத்திற்கும் கோடிக்கணக்கில் வெட்டியாக செலவழித்துக் கொண்டுதானிருக்கிறார்கள். பணியிடங்களில் வேலைக்கு வரும்போதும், போகும்போதும் நம் கைரேகையை வைக்கச்சொல்லும் முறை நிறைய இடங்களில் பரவலாக உள்ளது. களவு, காவல், கைரேகைத்தடைச்சட்டம் எதுவும் இன்னும் அழியவில்லை.மதுரையின் கோட்டை நாவலின் இன்னொரு முக்கியமான அம்சம். விஜயநகர பிரதானியாக விஸ்வநாதன் பொறுப்பேற்ற பின் மதுரையின் வளர்ச்சிப்பணிகளில் அதிக கவனம் செலுத்துகிறான். மூன்று ஆண்டுகளில் திருச்சியிலும், மதுரையிலும் கோட்டைகளைக் கட்டுகிறான். 1529ல் மதுரை கோட்டையைக் கட்ட நான்கு வாசல்களுக்கும் உயிர்ப்பலி கொடுக்கப்படுகிறது. பலமைல் நீளத்தில் உட்கோட்டை, வெளிக்கோட்டை அமைக்கப்படுகிறது. அந்தக்கோட்டையை நகர விரிவாக்கத்திற்காக 1844ல் கலெக்டர் ப்ளாக்பர்ன் இடிக்க முடிவெடுக்கிறார். ப்ளாக்பர்னிற்கு நிலஅளவையாளர் மாரெட் மற்றும் பெருமாள் மேஸ்திரி உதவுகிறார்கள். மக்கள் கடும் எதிர்ப்பைத் தெரிவிக்கிறார்கள்.திருமலைநாயக்கர் உருவாக்கிய வசந்த மண்டபத்தில் மக்களுடன் ஆலோசனை நிகழ்த்துகிறார். இடிக்கும் பகுதி மக்களுக்கே சொந்தம் என்ற இலவச அறிவிப்பை கொடுத்து கவர்கிறார். கோட்டையில் உள்ள 21 காவல்தெய்வங்களையும் இறக்க முடிவெடுக்கிறார்கள். கோட்டையிலிருந்து காவல்தெய்வங்கள் வெளியேறும் காட்சி புல்லரிக்க வைத்து விடுகிறது. துடியான தெய்வங்களை இறக்கிகொண்டு போய் வடக்குவாசல் செல்லத்தம்மன் கோயிலில் வைத்து தெய்வங்களுக்கு பலியாக 21 எருமைகளை வெட்டுகிறார்கள். மேலும், மனிதப்பலி கொடுத்ததாக வதந்தி பரப்புகிறார்கள். இதற்கிடையில் ஊர் பெரிய மனிதர்கள் சென்னை போய் மனுக்கொடுத்து கலெக்டரை பணிநீக்கம் செய்ய வைத்து விடுகிறார்கள். அவரோ கொடாக்கண்டனாக தன் திட்டத்தை விவரித்து மீண்டும் வந்து பணியைத் தொடங்குகிறார்.
கோட்டை இடிக்கப்படுகிறது. கிராமங்களிலிருந்து ஆட்கள் வந்து தங்கி மாதக்கணக்காக வேலை செய்கிறார்கள். இடித்த பணியாளர்கள் சிலர் கோட்டையை தங்கள் மேனியில் பச்சை குத்திக்கொள்கிறார்கள். ஊரே தூசியில் மிதக்கிறது. செல்வந்தர்கள் கோட்டையைத் தகர்த்த கற்களை வைத்து பெரிய வீடுகளைக் கட்டிக்கொள்கிறார்கள். யானைக்கல் தரைப்பாலம் இந்தக் கோட்டையின் கற்களில் கட்டப்பட்டதுதான். கோட்டை தகர்ந்ததும் வெளியிலிருந்து மக்கள் வந்து குடியேறுகிறார்கள். நகரம் விரிவடைகிறது.தாதுவருஷப்பஞ்சத்தை இந்நாவல் விரிவாக பேசுகிறது. மழை பொய்த்துப்போக கடும்வெயிலும், கொள்ளைநோய்களும் பரவி மக்கள் கொத்துக்கொத்தாக மடிகிறார்கள். கிறிஸ்துவ மிஷனரிகள் மதுரையில் பசுமலையிலிருந்து தங்கள் பணிகளை மேற்கொண்டனர். சாதி, மத பேதமில்லாமல் அனைவருக்கும் கல்வி கொடுத்தனர். ஏழை & அனாதைக் குழந்தைகளை தத்தெடுத்து அவர்களை சமூகத்தில் நல்ல நிலைக்கு கொண்டு வருகிறார்கள். சில பாதிரிகள் நகர நிர்வாகத்தில் நடக்கும் சீர்கேடுகளை கண்டிக்கும் அளவு நேர்மையானவர்களாக இருந்தார்கள். பெரியாறு அணையைக் கட்டி மேல்நாட்டுக்கள்ளர்களை தந்திரமாக ஒடுக்கியது ஆங்கிலேயஅரசு.மேல்சாதிஇந்துக்கள் தங்கள் குழந்தைகள் கற்க தனிப்பள்ளிகளை கட்டுகிறார்கள். நாடார்கள் முன்னேறுவது கண்டு அதை தடுக்கப் பார்க்கிறார்கள். தாதனூர்க்காரர்கள் காவலில் நாடார்களின் பேட்டை காப்பாற்றப்படுகிறது. மதுராகோட்ஸ் மில் திறக்கப்பட்டதன் மூலம் நிறைய பேருக்கு வேலை கிடைத்தது. இயந்திரங்கள் மக்களை சக்கையாக பிழிந்து துப்பின. பொன்னகரம் உருவாகியது. ரயில் போக்குவரத்து, தபால்துறைகள் சிறப்பாக செயல்படத்தொடங்கின. நீதிமன்றங்கள் மற்றும் காவல்நிலையங்களை கொண்டுவந்து பிரச்சனைகள் அதன்கீழ் தீர்க்கப்பட வேண்டுமென்ற நிபந்தனையைக் கொண்டு வந்தார்கள். அரசரடிப் பகுதியில் பெரிய சிறைச்சாலை கட்டப்பட்டது.
ஆலமரத்தடியில் அமர்ந்து ஊர் பெரியாம்பிளைகள் பேசிக்கொண்டிருப்பதையும், கிழவி குமரிகளுக்குமிடேயேயான கதையாடலையும் அவர்கள் பேசிக்கொள்ளும் பாலியல் கதைகளையும், சொலவடையையும் அருமையாகப் பதிவு செய்திருக்கிறார். பாலியல் மற்றும் உளவியல் எனப் பல பிரச்சனைகளுக்கு தங்கள் வாழ்க்கை அனுபவங்கள் மூலம் கிழவிகள் தீர்வு சொல்ல குமரிகள் கேட்டுக்கொள்கிறார்கள். மேலும், கள்ளர் சமுதாய மக்களின் பழக்க வழக்கங்களையும் இந்நாவலின் மூலம் அறிந்துகொள்ள முடிகிறது.சு.வெங்கடேசன் கவிஞர் என்பதை நிறைய பக்கங்களில் நிரூபித்துவிடுகிறார். மதுரை, இருள், களவு குறித்த அவரது வர்ணனைகள் அற்புதம். அந்தப் பக்கங்களை வாசித்துக்கொண்டே இருக்கலாம். சு.வெங்கடேசனின் பத்தாண்டுகால உழைப்பை நாவலில் ஒவ்வொரு பகுதியிலும் அறிந்து கொள்ள முடிகிறது. மக்கள் வரலாறாக இந்நாவலை அமைத்த சு.வெங்கடேசனுக்கு எத்தனை விருதுகள் கொடுத்தாலும் தகும். காவல்கோட்டத்தின் கதை என்னைக்காக்கும் மதுரையின் கதை.

http://www.yarl.com/forum3/index.php?showtopic=100784

Great history!! From Kaavalkottam novel by Su. Venkatesan of Madurai who won Sahitya academy in 2011.

madurakarenda

April 12th, 2012, 08:56 AM

The DHAN foundation guys have done a commendable job on preparing a Powerpoint presentation on the heritage sites in Madurai :cheers:

Click the below links to download and view

* Aanamalai (http://www.developmenttourism.in/docs/Aanamalai.ppt)

* Alagarmalai (http://www.developmenttourism.in/docs/Alagarmalai.ppt)

* Arittapatti (http://www.developmenttourism.in/docs/Arittapatti.ppt)

* Karadipatti (http://www.developmenttourism.in/docs/Perumalmala.ppt)

* Meenakshipuram (http://www.developmenttourism.in/docs/Meenakshipuram.ppt)

* Samanarmalai (http://www.developmenttourism.in/docs/Keelakuyilkudi.ppt)

* Tiruparankundram (http://www.developmenttourism.in/docs/Tirupparamkundram.ppt)

* Tiruvaadhavoor (http://www.developmenttourism.in/docs/Thiruvadavur.ppt)

:applause:

dhandapanik

April 13th, 2012, 09:01 AM

^^ Nice findings. TFS!

rsubbu.mdu

April 14th, 2012, 03:10 PM

MK,

Thanks for sharing :cheers:

Madurai gilli

April 19th, 2012, 02:56 AM

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/01056/DE18_PAGE4_3COL_1056950f.jpg

Shiva and Parvati -- the embodiment of love and desire that can exist between man and woman, have had thousands of temples built for them, with one of the most beautiful, largest and grandest being the Meenakshi Temple at Madurai. The 17 Century temple, a city within itself, has several fascinating rituals and festivals as well as stunning architecture which has been carefully documented in the film, “Divine Marriage”, by art historian Benoy K. Behl that will be showcased at the India Habitat Centre here this coming Sunday.

There are two shrines in this great temple, one of the great, noble and courageous Shiva and the other of Parvati as Meenakshi, the beautiful fish-eyed one.

Every evening, the deity of Shiva is taken, with great pomp and grandeur to the shrine of Parvati where he will spend the night with her. This divine couple is left undisturbed for the night and are woken up only the next morning by the sweet chanting of divine songs or bhajans, and then Shiva is taken away.

This ritual in some other temples have another factor -- Parvati's nose ring is taken off, to prevent it from scratching or hurting Shiva.

The shrine where the divine couple spend their nights are a great favourite with earthly couples on their honeymoon.

“The abstract concepts of the formless eternal, Nirguna or Arupa, are difficult for the mind to grasp. Therefore deities are made in order that people are able to relate to them. Shiva is a personification of qualities within us. We look upon Shiva we mediate upon him to awaken those qualities within us. Qualities of nobility, qualities of courage with which we must face the demons of our ignorance. Families are made around the deities so that people are able to relate to the deities in a more human way and relate to them even through their own emotions,” said Mr. Behl.

The magnificent temple with her grand entranceways and intricate sculptors was built during the reign of the Nayaka King, Tirumalai Nayaka, a devotee of Lord Shiva.

“The vast temple has eight impressive gateways, one rising to almost 200 feet. These gateways or “gopurams” are covered with several hundreds of sculptures. Temple authorities estimate that there are thirty-three million sculptures in the Meenakshi complex,” added Mr. Behl

In the Nayaka period, large tanks were made within the temple complexes, where the devotees washed their hands and feet. The film also shows how people spend time relaxing within this temple compound. Besides being a place to meditate and gain knowledge, the temple had grown to accommodate all aspects of life. “Thus, the temple also serves to remind us of the divinity which pervades all moments of our existence,” said Mr. Behl.

The film also documents the 16 Century, “Hall of a Thousand Pillars”, which has almost one thousand sculpted columns which have been carved out of a single slab of granite.

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article3327052.ece

madurakarenda

May 3rd, 2012, 05:27 AM

The history of a hero who made a mark in the First Mysore War

Koothiyarkundu literally means a hillock inhabited by dancing girls but surprisingly this village bears within its annals the story of a Brahmin Ramappa Ayyan, who led the battle against the then Mysore king Samaraja Wodayar in the First Mysore War in 1633 AD.

A left turn on the four-lane towards Tirumangalam leads to a narrow road that takes you right into the heart of the village. It is a serene village with a huge tank and fertile land around it. The well-laid roads, rows of houses with antennas sticking out, temples, a school, and advertisement boards tell us that the village has succumbed to technological invasions, but yet the tranquility that prevails seems to be filled with stories of yore.

The general’s story

The village traces its history to the period of Ramappa Ayyan, the military general of King Thirumalai Nayak (1623-1659 AD), seventh ruler of the Madurai Nayak Dynasty.

C. Shanthalingam, retired archeological officer, recounts the history of the general. The then reigning monarch of Mysore, Samaraja Wodayar, sent an army to invade the Nayak empire. To teach a fitting lesson to the Mysore king, Ramappa Ayyan took out a counter raid and invaded Mysore, where he usurped many territories. This may have been the first time that the Nayak reached so far north from Madurai.

Meanwhile, the jealous subordinates of Ramappa Ayyan poisoned the mind of Thirumalai Nayak by stating that Ayyan would establish his own kingdom after annihilating the Mysoreans. Believing this story, the king sent two of his soldiers to arrest Ramappa Ayyan and order him to retreat from Mysore. When Ramappan Ayyan heard this he was shocked and when the soldiers tried to arrest him, he cut off their hands. Undeterred by the rumours abounding in Madurai, he stayed back to finish the work entrusted to him by the king. Later, he returned victorious with large booty, explained his mission to the king, and also proved his loyalty.

Another story goes that it was Ramappa Ayyan who was able to settle the simmering discontent brewing between the Sethupathi Rajas and the Nayak rulers. Shanthalingam says, “The whole episode of Sethupathi war is narrated in the famous folklore ‘Ramappa Ayyan Ammanai'. Ammanai is a genre where women sing in praise of a hero while playing with a ball.”

The Brahmins and the dancers

“Much before the village came to be known as Koothiyarkundu , it was known as ‘Chadurvedimangalam', a Brahmin settlement,” says Santhalingam.

Now, the village has no trace of its antiquity except for the Meenakshi Udanurai Sundareswarar Temple that was built during the regime of King Thirumalai Nayak. The portrait figures of the king adorn the pillars of the rear mandapam of the temple, restating the fact that the temple belongs to the Nayak period.

“Perhaps the king built the temple in honour of Ramappa Ayyan,” says M. Parvatharajan, who has been temple priest since 1970.

This temple has no inscriptions to reveal its past. Its unique feature is the presence of five Shivalingams referring to the five faces of Lord Shiva – tathpurusha, akora, satyojatha, vamadeva and isana. Another attractive feature of the temple is the Natarajar Sabha. All temples have an open sabha often referred to as Natarajar sabha. The Meenakshi Udanurai Sundareswarar Temple has a mini sabha with statues of Natarajar, Sivakami Amman and Vyakarapathar on the left and Karaikal Ammaiyar and Pathanchali munivar on the right.

“Sunrays fall on the Lingam in the sanctum sanctorum during summer and winter solstices,” says Parvatharajan.

The temple has a Dakshinamoorthy Sannidhi and Vishalakshi Udanurai Viswanathar Sannidhi. It is believed that the Vishalakshi-Viswanathar Sannidhi is the oldest temple of the village.

But how did the name Chadurvedimangalam fade away? According to Shanthalingam, “Perhaps, apart from Brahmins, the village also had a good population of dancing girls-cum-temple workers and hence this name.”

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article3376882.ece

manikandanb

May 3rd, 2012, 09:12 AM

madurakarenda

May 3rd, 2012, 09:59 AM

^^ That kanmoi is called as Tenkaal kanmoi now. Koothiyaarkoondu is a place which is there far after Tiruparankundran and Tirunagar. Some other lake is there I suppose.

rsubbu.mdu

May 5th, 2012, 06:30 PM

^^ That kanmoi is called as Tenkaal kanmoi now. Koothiyaarkoondu is a place which is there far after Tiruparankundran and Tirunagar. Some other lake is there I suppose.

I have many a times wondered the reason behind the name of this place whenever i spotted the 48 series bus carrying the name of the village.

madurakarenda

May 5th, 2012, 06:46 PM

^^ +1. Without knowing the reason for this place being called so, we were using it. Now, we know the reason behind it. Still, many lie unearthed here I believe.

madurakarenda

May 6th, 2012, 06:54 AM

திருப்பரங்குன்றத்தில் செம்மொழிக் கல்வெட்டுகள்!

- வெ.கணேசன், அருப்புக்கோட்டை.

பதின்மூன்றாம் நூற்றாண்டில் மதுரையை தலைநகராய்க் கொண்டு ஆட்சி செய்த மன்னன் முதலாம் மாறவர்மன் சுந்தரபாண்டியன். இவன் தனது ஏழாவது ஆட்சியாண்டில், அதாவது கி.பி. 1223-ல் பாண்டிய நாட்டின் பெருமையினை உலகுக்குப் பறைசாற்றும் வண்ணம் தொடுத்த படையெடுப்புகளும், செய்துமுடித்த கோவில் திருப்பணிகளும் எண்ணிலடங்காது. ஏட்டிலுமடங்காது.

தொன்மை புகழ்மிக்க, முருகனின் அறுபடை வீடுகளில் ஒன்றாக விளங்குவது திருப்பரங்குன்றம். மிகப் பெரிய மலைக்குன்றாய் விண்ணளாவ உயர்ந்தெழுந்து நிற்பது. இம்மலையினை கிரிவலம் வருவோர், தெற்கு கிரி வீதியில், அதாவது மலையின் நேர் பின் பக்கத்தில், சங்க காலக் குடைவரை கோவிலை கண்ணாரக் கண்டு களிக்கலாம்.

எந்தவிதமான விஞ்ஞான, தொழில்நுட்ப வசதிகளும் இல்லாத கி.பி.எட்டாம் நூற்றாண்டு கால கட்டத்திலேயே, அடர்ந்த சோலைகள் சூழ்ந்த, குளிர்ச்சி பொருந்திய இடத்தில், சிற்பக் கலைக்கு சிறந்த சான்றாக எடுத்துச் சொல்லும் விதத்தில், ஒரு குடைவரைக் கோவிலை அமைத்துள்ளனர் நம் முன்னோர்.

மலைக்குன்றின் இக்கோவிலை தரிசிக்க, சிலபடிகள் மேலேறிச் சென்று, பிரம்மாண்ட வாசலை அடையலாம். அண்ணாந்து பார்த்தால் கழுத்து சுளுக்கிக் கொள்ளும் அளவுக்கு உயர்ந்து நிற்கும் கம்பீர, புராதன மலை. குடைவரைக் கோவில் வாசல் முகப்பின் இடப்பக்கம் சிதைந்த நிலையில் காணப்படும் விநாயகர் உருவச்சிலை. அதனை அடுத்து இருப்பது, தியான நிலையில், அமர்ந்த கோலத்தில் காணப்படும் சமண தீர்த்தங்கரர் சிற்பங்கள்.

குடைவரைக் கோவிலின் வலப்பக்கம் புடைப்புச் சிற்பங்கள் வரிசையாக செதுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. கி.பி. பத்தாம் நூற்றாண்டு வரையும் தமிழகத்தில் பல்வேறு இடங்களிலும் சமணம் வேரூன்றி இருந்தது. அதனால்தான் சமண தீர்த்தங்கரர்களது சிற்பங்கள் மதுரை வட்டத்தில் திருவாதவூர், யானைமலை, மீனாட்சிபுரம், கீழக்குயில்குடி, மேலக்குயில்குடி, திருப்பரங்குன்றம் உள்ளிட்ட பல்வேறு இடங்களில் காணக் கிடைக்கின்றன.

இதனைக் கண்டு களித்த பின் குடைவரைக் கோவிலுக்குள் செல்லலாம். கலை நயம் மிக்க மூன்று பெரிய தூண்கள் வாசல் போன்று பிரம்மாண்டமாய் நின்று வரவேற்பது மாதிரி அமைந்துள்ளன.

அதனைத் தாண்டி உள்ளே நுழைந்ததும், இடப்புறம் அமைந்துள்ள தனிச் சந்நதியில் அழகான கோலத்தில் அர்த்தநாரீஸ்வரர் சிற்பம், கிழக்கு நோக்கிய வண்ணம் அமைந்துள்ளது.

தெற்கு திசையைப் பார்த்த வண்ணம், மூலவரான தில்லைக் கூத்தனின் திருவுருவச் சிலை பாதி சிதைந்த நிலையில் காணப்படுகின்றது. இக்கோவில் அமைந்த காலம் கி.பி. எட்டாம் நூற்றாண்டு. கல்வெட்டுச் செய்திகளின்படி, இது உமையாண்டான் கோவில் என்று அழைக்கப்படுகிறது.

நடராஜனின் உருவச் சிலைக்கு மேலே விநாயகர், சுப்பிரமணியர் சிற்பங்கள் எழிலுற விளங்குகின்றன. இடப்பக்கமாக, வள்ளி, தெய்வானை சமேத சுப்பிரமணியரின் புடைப்புச் சிற்பம் விளங்குகிறது.

கோவிலின் கிழக்குப் பக்க சுவர் முழுவதும் விரிந்து, பரந்த இரு அழகிய கல்வெட்டுகள் காணப்படுகின்றன. இவைகள்தாம் மாறவர்மன் சுந்தரபாண்டியனின் மெய்க்கீர்த்தியை எடுத்துச் சொல்லும் அழகிய செம்மொழிக் கல்வெட்டுகள். இரண்டு கல்வெட்டுகளில் ஒன்று, மன்னனின் புகழை எளிய நடையில் தெளிந்த நீரோடை பாய்ந்து செல்வது மாதிரி உரைத்து நிற்கிறது.

மன்னன் மாறவர்மன் சுந்தரபாண்டியன் சோழநாட்டின் மீது படையெடுத்து, அந்நாட்டை வென்று பாண்டிய நாட்டு ஆட்சி எல்லையை விரிவுபடுத்தியதைக் குறிக்கும் விதமாக, அந்த மெய்க்கீர்த்தி கல்வெட்டு பின்வருமாறு அமைந்துள்ளது.

""ஸ்வஸ்திஸ்ரீ பூமருவிய திருமந்தையும் புவிமடந்தையும் புயத்திருப்ப, நாமருவிய கலைமடந்தையும் நலம் சிறப்பக் கோளார்ந்த இனப்புலியும் கொடுஞ்சிலையும் குலைந்தொளிப்ப, வாளார்ந்த பொற்கிரி மேல் வரிக்கயல்கள் விளையாட, இருங்கடல் வளையத்து இனிது அறம் பெருகக், கருங்கலி கடிந்து செங்கோல் நடப்ப, ஒரு குடை நிழலில் இரு நிலம் குளிர, மூவகைத் தமிழும் முறைமையில் விளங்க, நால்வகை வேதமும் நவின்றுடன் வளர, ஐவகை வேள்வியும் செய்வினை இயற்ற, அறுவகை சமயமும் அழகுடன் திகழ, எழுவகைப்பாடலும் இயலுடன் பரவ, எண் திசை அளவும் சக்கரம் செல்லக், கொங்கணர், கலிங்கர், கோசலர், மாளுவர், சிங்களர், தெலுங்கர், சீனர், குச்சரர், வில்லவர், மகதர், விக்கலர், செம்பியர், பல்லவர், முதலியர், பார்த்திபர் எல்லாம் உறைவிடம் அருளென ஒருவர் முன் ஒருவர் முறை முறை கடவ, தந்திறை குணந்திறைஞ்ச, இலங்கொளி மணி முடி இந்திரன் பூட்டிய புரைகதிர் ஆர மார்பினில் பொலியப், பனி மலர் தாமரை திசைமுகன் படைத்த, மனு நெறி தழைப்ப, மணி முடி சூடிப் பொன்னி சூழ் நாட்டில், புலி ஆணை போய் அகலக், கன்னி சூழ் நாட்டில் கயல் ஆணை கை வளர, வெஞ்சின விவுளியம் வேழமும் பரப்பி, தஞ்சையும் உறந்தையும் செந்தழல் கொளுத்திக், காவியும் நீலமும் நின்று கவினிழப்ப, வாவியுமாறு மணி நீர் நலனழித்துக், கூடமும், மாமதிலும், கோபுரமும், ஆடரங்கு மாடமும், மாளிகையும் மண்டபமும் பல இடித்துத், தொழுது வந்தடையார் நிருபதந்தோகையர் அழுத கண்ணீர் ஆறு பரப்பிக் கழுதை கொண்டு ழுது கவடி வித்திச், செம்பியனை சினிமரியப் பொருது கரம்புக வோட்டிப், பைம்பொன் பறித்துப் பாணனுக்குக் குடுத்தருளிப், பாடருஞ் சிறப்பிற் பரிதிவான் தோய, ஆடகப் புரிசை ஆயிரத் தளியில், சோழவளவன் அபிஷேக மண்டபத்து வீராபிஷேகம் செய்து, உலகமுழுதுடையாரோடும் வீற்றிருந்தருளிய ஸ்ரீ கோபாற பன்மரான திருபுவன சக்கரவர்த்திகள், சோணாடு வழங்கியவருளிய ஸ்ரீ சுந்தரபாண்டிய தேவற்கு யாண்டு ஏழாவது..''

- என்று முடிகிறது. சங்கத் தமிழின் அழகும் எளிமையும் கொள்ளை கொள்ளுகிறது அல்லவா! அற்புதமான குடைவரைக் கோவிலும் பக்கத்தில் அமைந்துள்ள பொழுதுபோக்குப் பூங்காவும் சிறியோர் முதல் பெரியோர் வரை மனதை மயக்கும் விஷயங்களாக அமைந்துள்ள திருப்பரங்குன்றத்தை ஒருமுறை குடும்பத்தோடு சென்று கண்டு களித்து வரலாம்.

http://www.dinamani.com/edition/story.aspx?&SectionName=Sunday%20Kondattam&artid=593426&SectionID=144&MainSectionID=144&SEO=&Title=

^^ Tiruparankundram temple was built in 1223 B.C :cheers: Amazing history of Madurai :)

madurakarenda

May 6th, 2012, 09:39 AM

Cross post to prevent burial from buses thread and saving for record :

PRC Bus in 1975 that came after TVS :

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/299543_136533733119241_100002878457247_152271_790561735_n.jpg

Originally shared by Madhurakkaran Karthikeyan TN-59 series started in 1987. So this city bus should be from 1987 or 1988. Look at the solid and elegant bus body! When the Madurai rural RTO was commissioned PRC started registering the buses in TN-58. I think PRC started painting the city buses in colours after 1990 when it became TNSTC-Madurai, orange livery for ordinary buses, Green/Yellow livery for Express buses. Some buses were painted in Blue white squares (like chess board). Some buses were having Brown / white squre patches and a single fare was collected in these buses, whether you get down at first stage or second stage. Such buses were in operation in 1B (Periyar - Thapal thanthi Nagar) and in 4 (Arappalayam - Theppakulam)

madurakarenda

May 12th, 2012, 05:40 PM

This is the second in the three-book series on "The Story of Indian Business" written by Kanakalatha Mukund. The book is about how Tamil merchants influenced the economic and political landscape of South India

This book is the second of the three-book series on ‘The Story of Indian Business’. Written by Kanakalatha Mukund, an authority on the history of Tamil commerce, the book is about how Tamil merchants influenced the economic and political landscape of south India between 268BCE, the reign of Mauryan emperor Asoka, and 1200CE, marking the fall of the last of the great Tamil dynasties, the Chola empire. It is during this period that the Pallavas, Pandyas, Cholas and Cheras brought immense prosperity to southern India. What helped trade was the long coastline which elevated its importance and volume with other nations as a means for economic sustenance of the Tamil Kingdoms. Merchants were the focal point of medieval trade and their skill was valued as the most prized commodity.

Drawing richly from ancient texts and inscriptions, especially epics such as Silappadikaram and Manimekalai, the author throws light on the lives of merchants. The book is divided into five distinct chapters. The prologue quickly walks the reader through the life of merchants such as using primitive ships, mostly made of large single logs bound together, shacking up on foreign shores for long periods during times of uncertainty, such as monsoons.

The author then gives an account of merchants and trade in Tamilakam in the Sangam era, which was dominated by Pandyas, having its capital in Madurai. Despite the pettiness of some of its rulers, trade, especially maritime trade, thrived. Archaeological evidence suggests existence of rich trade between Tamilakam and the Roman Empire. Even a papyrus contract shed light on trade with the Greeks. Urbanisation was restricted to where economic activity was concentrated, namely, ports such as Puhar, as well as inland cities like Madurai. Activities in Puhar and Madurai are detailed in this chapter.

The two major dynasties of the Tamil era were the Pallavas, which had its capital in Kancheepuram (now famous for its silk saris) in the north, and the south-based Cholas, whose capital was based in Thanjavur. Unlike the Sangam period, this period was more stable and solid institutions were put in place. Local and democratic institutions and assemblies were set up in this period, giving rise to the earliest systems of public administration and governance, including the collection of taxes. These kingdoms established trade with kingdoms of South East Asia and Sri Lanka.

The institutions and the synergies that facilitated commerce were the temples, nagarams or commercial centres and the merchant guilds. We learn that temples played the role of the employer, the consumer and the capital creator. They employed people ranging from artisans, craftsmen, masons and even unskilled workers, as well as priests to conduct ceremonies, on a large scale. They regulated the economy vis-à-vis interest rates. These strong institutions compensated for the poor political leadership which helped enrich the medieval economy.

The final chapter pieces together various insights into one cohesive whole and underlines the vital role of the merchants and various institutions that played a part in wealth creation.

http://moneylife.in/article/merchants-of-tamilakam-southern-trade/25619.html

^^ Some book has been released on the history of Madurai it seems

madurakarenda

May 14th, 2012, 06:39 AM

MADURAI: On Sunday, several people interested in history and culture visited Thuvariman, a village on the outskirts of Madurai, which has a rich archaeological history dating back to over 3,000 years and is known as the spring from where the erstwhile Kiruthumalnadhi originated. :ohno:

People are regularly taken to such places around Madurai for the last seven years as part of the heritage walk organised by Dhan Foundation. Professor V Vedachalam, an archaeologist, briefs them on the importance of these places.

The visit to Thuvariman highlighted the fact that many archaeological evidences including burial urns, vessels and copper coins from the early Pandyan dynasty had been unearthed. Vedachalam said the villages in this region including Kochadai, Thenur, Sholavandan, Kodimangalam and Thuvariman were very important during previous eras, as was evident from the ancient Pandya and Chola temples found in this region.

According to history, Thuvariman acquired importance because it was a place to where people from Dwaraka migrated and settled, he said. This place was important because a series of springs that originated in the Nagamalai hills in the vicinity converged here to form the river of Kiruthumal, which played and important role in the history and civilization of Madurai. This river has now been transformed into a sewage channel trickling through Madurai city and has almost become non-existent.

Local villagers expressed their unhappiness over the disappearance of water bodies such as the large Thuvariman tank due to negligence. An elderly person from the village, Venketraman, said the villagers were ready to contribute to the rehabilitation of this tank if the government and NGOs came forward to renovate it. Project officer of the tourism wing of Dhan Foundation said the public should take up such causes and carry out the work independently without waiting for others to initiate it. Members of the Travel Club in Madurai, students and public participated in the heritage walk.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Recalling-village-glories-through-walks/articleshow/13128307.cms

madurakarenda

May 24th, 2012, 04:51 AM

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/2127/63377106.jpg

Madurai aadheenam's history came in last week Dinakaran. It says that 1500 years back it was founded when Budhism and Jainism grown and tried to drive Hinduism out of their way and many miraculous happenings.

Now the Aadheenam is a 3 star hotel and the Aadheenam itself is going toward a weird direction. It is a very different story.

madurakarenda

May 27th, 2012, 07:28 PM

எழில்மிகு யானை மலை!

http://www.dinamani.com/Images/article/2012/5/26/z6.jpg

மதுரை நகருக்கு வடக்கே எட்டு கி.மீ. தொலைவில் அமைந்திருக்கிறது யானை மலை. இம்மலை சற்றே தொலைவிலிருந்து பார்த்தால், ஒரு கம்பீரமான யானை படுத்திருப்பது போன்று தோற்றமளிக்கும். எனவேதான் யானை மலை என்கிற பெயர் ஆதிகாலத்திலேயே சூட்டப்பட்டிருந்தது. நெடுந் தொலைவுக்கு நீண்டு கிடக்கும் இம்மலை, முருகனின் படைவீடான திருப்பரங்குன்றம், பழனி ஆகிய குன்றுகளைப் போன்று உயர்ந்தோங்கி நிற்கிறது. கி.பி. ஒன்றாம் நூற்றாண்டிலேயே இங்கு மக்கள் வசித்தனர். அப்போது இவ்விடத்தில், சமண மதம் பரவியிருந்தது.

யானை மலையின் உச்சியில், குகை தளம் உள்ளது. அதில் அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ள சமணர் கல் படுகைகள் இன்றளவும் புதியதாய், பளபளப்போடு கூடிய மெருகுடன் காணப்படுகிறது. குகைக்குள் குளிர்ச்சியாகவே எந்நேரமும் இருக்கிறது. குகைத் தளத்தின் முன்பாக, கி.பி. ஒன்றாம் நூற்றாண்டைச் சேர்ந்த தமிழ் பாதாமி கல்வெட்டு, "பளிச்'செனக் காணப்படுகின்றது. அதில்,

""இவ குன்றத்தூ உறையுள் பா தந்தான் ஏரி ஆரிதன்

அத்துவாயி அரிட்ட காயிபன்''

- என்கிற இரண்டு வரி வாசகங்கள் பொறிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. "இவ' என்பது "இபம்' என்கிற வடமொழிச் சொல்லின் மறு வடிவம். இதன் பொருள் "யானை' என்பதாகும். குன்றம் என்றால் மலை. ஆக, கல்வெட்டு, "யானை மலை' என்பதை "இவகுன்றம்' எனச் சொல்கிறது. "பா' என்றால் படுக்கை. மொத்தத்தில், "தங்குவதற்கான கற்படுக்கை' என்பதுதான் கல்வெட்டு உரைக்கும் பொருள்.

இதில், தங்கியிருந்த துறவியார் இருவரும் மிக உயர்ந்த நிலையை அடைந்தவர்கள். ஏரி எனும் ஊரைச் சேர்ந்த ஆரிதன் என்பது ஒரு துறவியின் பெயர். அத்துவாயி அரிட்ட காயிபன் என்ற மற்றொரு துறவி, சிறந்த நூல்களின் பொருட்களை எடுத்துரைப்பதில் வல்லவர். இரண்டாயிரம் ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்னரே செழித்துக்கிடந்த இப்பகுதியில், சமணத் துறவியர் இருவர் மலை உச்சியில் கற்படுக்கை அமைத்து தவம் மேற்கொண்டிருந்தனர் என்பது புலனாகிறது.

குன்றின் மேற்குப் புறம் இன்னுமொரு இயற்கையான குகைத் தளம் இருக்கிறது. சீராக படிகளை தற்போது அமைத்திருப்பதால், குகைத் தளம் வரையும் மிக எளிதாக சென்று வரலாம். இந்த குகைத் தளத்தின் முகப்பில் பல எழில் மிக்க சமண சிற்பங்களும் கல்வெட்டுகளும் புதுமையாக காட்சியளிக்கின்றன. இதன் காலம் கி.பி. 9, 10-ஆம் நூற்றாண்டு ஆகும். இங்கு காணப்படும் புடைப்புச் சிற்பங்கள் மகாவீரர், பார்சுவ நாதர், பாகுபலி, அம்பிகா, ஆகியவை ஆகும்.

சிற்பங்களின் மீது சுதை பூசி, அற்புதமான வண்ணங்களும் கண்கவர் விதத்தில் தீட்டப்பட்டுள்ளன. காலம் ஆயிரம் ஆண்டுகள் கடந்துவிட்ட பின்னும், தற்போது சற்றே நிறம் மங்கிக் காணப்படுகின்றன.

சிற்பங்களின் கீழ் தமிழ், கிரந்தம், வட்டெழுத்து ஆகிய எழுத்துக்களில் கல்வெட்டுக்கள் உள்ளன.

இந்த இடம் பல நூற்றாண்டுகளாக "யானை மலை' என்கிற பெயராலேயே அழைக்கப்பட்டு வந்த நிலை கி.பி. 770-ஆம் ஆண்டு மாறிப்போனது. அந்த காலகட்டத்தில் முற்காலப் பாண்டிய மன்னன் மாறஞ்சடையன் பராந்தக நெடுஞ்சடையன் என்பவன் மதுரை மன்னனாக ஆட்சி செய்துவந்தான். அவனது பிரதான அமைச்சராக பொறுப்பு வகித்த மூவேந்த மங்கலப் பேரதையன் ஆகிய மாறன்காரி கலிக்குடா வைத்தியன் என்பவன், யானை மலையின் வடமேற்குப் பக்கமாக நரசிங்கப் பெருமாளுக்கு குடைவரைக் கோவில் ஒன்றைக் கட்டத் தீர்மானித்து பூர்வாங்க வேலைகளைத் துவக்கினான். ஆனால் துரதிருஷ்டவசமாக, கோவில் திருப்பணி வேலைகள் முழுமை பெறும் முன்னரே, நோய்வாய்ப்பட்டு மாண்டு போனான். அவனுக்குப் பின்னால், அவனது தம்பி மந்திரி பதவி ஏற்றான். அவனது பெயர் பாண்டா மங்கல விசைய அதையன் ஆகிய மாறன் எயினன் என்பதாகும். இவனே கோயில் திருப்பணிகளை செம்மையாக முடித்து, குடமுழுக்கும் செய்துவைத்தான். இதனைத் தொடர்ந்து, இவ்வூருக்கு "நரசிங்க மங்கலம்' என பெயரையும் சூட்டினான். ஆண்டுதோறும், மாசி பெüர்ணமி நாளில் கஜேந்திர மோட்சத் திருவிழா இங்கு வெகு விமரிசையாகக் கொண்டாடப்பட்டு வருகிறது. இக்கோயிலின் உள்ளே நுழைகையில், இடப்புறமாக அழகிய பொற்றாமரைக் குளம் கண்ணுக்கு விருந்தளிக்கும் வண்ணம் ஆண்டு முழுவதும் நீர் நிரம்பி தளும்பிய வண்ணம் காட்சியளிக்கிறது.

இக் குடைவரைக் கோயில் வளாகத்தில் கிரந்த, வட்டெழுத்து, தமிழ் கல்வெட்டுகள் ஏராளமாய்க் காணப்படுகின்றன. முற்காலப் பாண்டியர், சோழர், சோழ பாண்டியர், பிற்காலப் பாண்டியர், விஜயநகர மன்னர் ஆகியோர் வெவ்வேறு காலகட்டங்களில் பல திருப்பணிகளை இக்கோயிலுக்குச் செய்திருக்கின்றனர்.

பிற்காலப் பாண்டிய மன்னரின் கல்வெட்டில் இம்மலையை "திரு ஆனை மலை' என்று குறிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. விஜயநகர மன்னர் கிருஷ்ணதேவ ராயர் காலத்திய கல்வெட்டில், சமஸ்கிருதத்தில் இம்மலையை "கஜகிரி' என்று குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளனர். தற்காலத்தில் இத்தலத்தை பரிகாரத் தலமாக மக்கள் பெரிதும் போற்றி வணங்கி வருகின்றனர். இக்கோயில், மேற்குத் திசை பார்த்த வண்ணம் அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இம்மலையிலேயே முருகப் பெருமானுக்கும் ஒரு குடைவரைக் கோயில் அமைத்திருந்தனர். கி.பி. எட்டாம் நூற்றாண்டில், வட்டக் குறிச்சி என்ற ஊரைச் சேர்ந்த நம்பிரான் பட்டசோமாசி பரிவிராஜகர் என்பவர் இக்குடைவரைக் கோயிலை புதுப்பித்த செய்தியை தமிழ் வட்டெழுத்துக் கல்வெட்டு

கூறுகிறது.

தற்போது, குன்றின் தென்புறம் ஈஸ்வரன் கோயில் ஒன்றினை மலைமேல், சிறிது உயரத்தில் அமைத்து, நித்ய பூசைகளைச் செய்துவருகின்றனர்.

மனதுக்கும் உடலுக்கும் நலமளிக்கும் வண்ணம் நூற்றாண்டுகள் இருபது கடந்தும், இன்றும் அன்றலர்ந்த செந்தாமரை போல் எழிலுடன் சரித்திரச் சான்றுகளுடன் திகழும் யானை மலையை, சுற்றுலாத்தலமாக மாற்றி வசதிகளைச் செய்துத் தருவதன் மூலம், மதுரைக்கு மட்டுமல்ல, ஒட்டுமொத்த மனித குலத்துக்கும் நன்மை பயக்கும் இடமாக "யானை மலை' வெகுவிரைவில் மாறிவிடும் என்பது உறுதி.

நில வளம், நீர் வளம், மலை வளம் என இப்பகுதி சிறந்த விளங்குகிற காரணத்தால் சிறியோர் முதல் பெரியவர்கள் வரை யானை மலையைக் கண்டு பேரின்பம் பெறுங்கள்.

http://www.dinamani.com/edition/story.aspx?&SectionName=Sunday Kondattam&artid=604050&SectionID=144&MainSectionID=144&SEO=&Title=

^^ A nice article on Yaanaimalai :cheers: Says that it has Jain inscriptions dating back to 1st century A.D

madurakarenda

June 9th, 2012, 06:33 AM

It has seen history being built around it — standing in all its grandeur and glory as the city flourished. We take a sneak peak at the majestic Victoria Edward Hall...

As Marine drive is for Mumbai and Mount road is for Chennai, Madurai has it's famous Town hall road. Victoria Edward Hall, the town hall of Madurai was established in 1902. Situated near the Madurai railway junction, this was the first closed auditorium for Maduraiites. Named after Queen Victoria who made a visit to this city, this architectural splendour has been standing tall and strong over the years.
A reading den
In those times, Victoria Edward Hall was the one and only auditorium for top politicians, theatre afficionados and for the British government to conduct various programmes. Tamukkam ground and Thilakar Thidal were functioning as the open air auditorium for the common public at the same time. Ishmail, the secretary of Victoria Edward Hall is more than excited to share the importance of the Madurai Town Hall. He says, "We have a public library that functions only in the morning. Our shelves are crammed with all kinds of magazines and dailies, that are read by bookworms here. We have a precious ancient library that houses above one lakh books. We have an amazing collection of old books, government gazettes and a rare bunch of old novels. It is by far our most prized possession".

Entertainers' arena
The adjacent closed auditorium that was initially used by the British for government meetings. They were then on rent to the dramatists and political parties. "Popular dramas were staged in this auditorium, particularly MR Radha and Ramadass were some of the regular celebrities who staged their dramas here. Our members are mostly retired people who come here in the evening to spend some quiet time in our lawns. Being in the centre of the city and the most busiest area, these lawns are a blessing to the localites" he adds.

Theatrical shift
The Town Hall was leased to a private party seventy years ago and then converted into a cinema theatre called 'Regal Talkies'. Ramasamy, a business person functioning in the Town Hall road for many years says, "This theatre earned its fame for releasing Hollywood movies. Youngsters from south Tamil Nadu used to visit Madurai to watch their favourite English movies. World famous James Bond movies were released here as well." In the courtyard, old people sit and chat, spending their time catching up with their friends. In the next building, few are engrossed in a game of chess while other are busy with a big carrom board, occupying the brightly lit spots in the room. The secretary Ishmail continues, "We are here to give an educational lift to the entire hall so that people appreciate books and the history behind this majestic building. We have philanthropically based programs too. Apart from the indoor games, we have two tennis courts as well. "This hall echoes voices from the pre-independence era, which is why Town Hall is the pride of Madurai!

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/travel/Madurais-famed-hallmark/articleshow/13931021.cms

manikandanb

June 19th, 2012, 05:55 PM

venkyinblr

June 20th, 2012, 08:13 AM

We dwell into the reasons behind the interesting names given to the streets (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/streets) in the temple town
Among the many other unique aspects of the city, one is the interesting names of the roads in Madurai. A good number of lanes and bylanes in the city are names after interesting things. Here's a ride through the roads.

A short history
Since time immemorial, Madurai (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Madurai) has been a well planned city in terms of construction of roads and buildings. The streets in Madurai were said to have been designed by the Pandya kings (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Pandya-kings) centuries ago. Be it the architecture (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/architecture) or the roads in the old areas of the city, the residents are all praise for their ancestors.

Months
N Sulaiman, retired regional assistant director of art and culture department gives us an insight into some of the popular streets in the city and the reasons for their existence. He begins, "Meenakshi Amman temple is the centre point for the formation of all the roads. The roads unlike the other major cities are square shaped. The first road called 'Aadhi Veethi' is situated inside the temple campus. This street is purely for spiritual purpose.
Common people aren't allowed to use it. The chithirai street, Masi Street, avani moola street and the consequent streets lay in consecutive squares around the temple." If a person begins touring a street, he would land on the same road in an hour. He cannot be diverted anywhere, except for the narrow cross cuts between the streets. "The streets surrounding the temple are named after Tamil months. The city has been described as 'lotus shaped' city in one of the Tamil literatures. An ariel view of the place will be breathtaking," he adds.
Occupation
Names of some streets also denote a particular occupation. For instance, some cities have localities named after profession of people living there. Back here in Madurai, that was exactly what was done. Sulaiman continues, "In ancient times, the artists and the painters working in the temple and the king's palace were given houses in a particular street. Hence, the street came to be called 'chithrakarar theru' (a street of artists). The 'kollanpattarai theru' (a street of iron workshops) was the abode of ironsmiths. They would make weapons for the palace army. The street where musicians dwelled was baptized 'Mettukara theru' (a street of music composers)."
Businesses
Some streets also pointed to the nature of business done in the corresponding premises.
Interestingly, the same is being followed till now. Priya G, a frequent visitor to this area, says, "Starting from the 'valayal kaara theru' (the street of bangle sellers), the nature of each business can be identified from their names. The gold merchants, gold jewellery shops are in a street called 'nagaikadai theru' (street of jewellery shops). Some of the other interesting streets are Pathirakaara theru ( street of utensil sellers), Vethilai pettai (street of betel leaves) and nel pettai (street of rice wholesalers). These street names are self explanatory."

History
Apart from the streets named after the regional flowers and national leaders, there are some significant numbers of streets that denote the historical events in their names.
Travise, a student says, "A classic example is the 'Barathiyaar Ula Veethi (the walking street of Barathiyar). The national (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/The-National) poet Barathiyar used to walk in that particular road during his teaching reign at a school nearby. This incident dates back to the era of pre-independence."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/travel/The-unique-thing-about-Madurais-streets/articleshow/12650638.cms

madurakarenda

June 20th, 2012, 02:53 PM

http://www.dinamalar.com/video_Inner.asp?news_id=14097&cat=32

News video about Jain caves in Madurai.
Though this news covers about the need for close monitoring to prevent anti-social elements from spoiling the place further, some part of the video shows the interior of the caves. The glimpse of the caves & ecosystem looks amazing!!

This site is historically famous among Jains, coz i remember a few years back one of my Gujarati friend asked about this site, but at that time i was really unaware of such a place in Madurai :ohno:
We really need more awareness...schools can arrange for educational trips to this site.

Nowadays, a good number of awareness programs are carried out by NGOs like INTACH, Dhan foundation and Travel club by organizing "Heritage walks" have increased.

If one needs to participate in it, contact : 09344102841

A Heritage walk happens every first/second Sunday every month (not sure which Sunday, please confirm with the above furnished number).

madurakarenda

July 2nd, 2012, 06:25 PM

MADURAI: The Poovannanathaswamy temple in Tiruppuvanam in Sivaganga district once had couplets from ballads sung by saints like Thirugnana Sambandar and Thirunavukarasu Nainar all over its walls. The inscriptions are still there, but you will not see them due to the thick white coat of paint over them.

Considered as one of the fourteen sacred Pandyan temples, the Poovannanathaswamy temple, built around the late sixth century, shows how maintenance without vision could be detrimental to the existence of an ancient structure. Even though a huge outer wall still protects the structure from further encroachment, the temple is in a state of neglect.

"Encroachment is a big problem. When I was a child, there was not even a single house around the temple. Now there are at least 50 houses surrounding the structure. If the temple didn't have the huge wall to protect it, we could have lost it by now," says P Ramachandran, a national award-winning teacher and a heritage enthusiast, who has been living in Tiruppuvanam since his childhood.

The temple, situated 18-km from Madurai on the Manamadurai Road, is maintained by the Sivagangai Devasthanam. According to K Sundar, a history teacher, the property around the temple still belonged to the Devasthanam.

"Some people who leased out the land have constructed houses. They have not vacated it and still live on the leased land by paying a small amount to the devasthanam," he said. According to the Tamil Nadu District Gazetteers, published in 1972, the temple must have been in existence before the seventh century as Thirugnana Sambandar visited it. But white-washing and sand-blasting has destroyed many inscriptions and sculptures inside the temple. The surviving sculptures of Thirumalai Nayak and his consort at the entrance of the temple suggest that the temple must have undergone renovation in the later Nayak period.

"A lot of rare inscriptions on the walls are lost to white-washing and sand-blasting. But still there are a lot left. Since the temple was in existence in the seventh century, the inscriptions and art work in the temple must be studied in detail," said K Kalairajan, assistant registrar, Alagappa University.

According to myth, there was a holy water pond founded by the Sun God at the south-east corner of the temple. "Bones of corpses immersed in this water would become fragrant flowers. Hence the place is called Tiruppuvanam ('Tiru' in Tamil means sacred, and 'pu' denotes flower and 'vana' in Sanskrit means garden) meaning 'sacred flower garden'," according to the Gazetteers. People still bury the bones of the dead on the banks of the Vaigai river opposite the temple. However, lack of basic facilities in the temple irks locals. "Devotees come to visit the temple from afar. But even basic facilities like drinking water and public restrooms are lacking here," says Sundar.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Neglect-encroachment-haunts-6th-century-Pandyan-temple/articleshow/14575271.cms

venkyinblr

July 5th, 2012, 10:21 AM

NAMMA MADURAI Revisiting the remnants of an information system prevailing during Tirumalai Nayak's time

Today we have information relayed to us through various sophisticated equipment and systems, but a somewhat similar system, though rudimentary, existed long ago in and around our region.
In the earlier days, people shared information mainly through pigeons and messengers who were often known as ‘runners’ (Oottan). But during Tirumalai Nayak's regime, when there was a message to be sent a series of bells rang.
It is believed that King Tirumalai Nayak (1623 to 1659 AD), an ardent devotee of Srivilliputhur Andal Temple, used to eat his breakfast only after the pujas were performed at the temple. To get the information that the pujas were completed, the king built mandaps about every five kilometres on the route from Madurai to Srivilliputhur and installed loud bells in them. Each mandap also had a small kitchen.
Mandaps
The bell man lived with his family at the mandap, which also served as ‘chatram’ for travellers and pilgrims. Now, only three mandaps can be identified on the route to Srivilliputhur. Of these, the mandap at Pilliayarnatham is maintained by the local Sanmarga Sangam.
This 17th century mandap has about 30 pillars in the form of a chariot pulled by elephants. The pillars are adorned with ‘dasavatharam’ and erotic sculptures. Sevanthi Asari designed and constructed the mandap, according to an inscription found there. The portrait of the Asari is also found at the entrance.
One of the other two mandaps hosts a firewood shop, while the other remains in tatters on the Srivilliputhur Road. Similar mandaps are found at Tiruparankundram, Pasumalai, Moolakaraipatti and Pazhanganatham near Madurai.
A similar story is told of Veerapandya Kattabomman, who was hanged in 1799 AD. It is believed that Kattabomman took his breakfast only after hearing the bell that passed on the information that pujas were over at the Tiruchendur Temple. He also built about 40 mandaps between Panchalakuruchi and Tiruchendur to pass on the message from the temple.
Copper plate evidence
“There is no recorded and documented evidence for the king waiting for the bell to have his breakfast,” says C. Santhalingam, retired archaeological officer. “But there is copper plate evidence at Arittapatti near Madurai which recorded the alarm system – a mode of relaying information.”
During the Nayak regime, local chieftains ruled some pockets of the country and often they revolted against the monarch. To keep them under control, Tirumalai Nayak raided their territories.
According to the plate, Chetty Dalavay, a military chief, appointed Vekappunathan, a resident of Kalikottai, to keep a watch on the border and pass information about invasion, if any, with an alarm. Vekappunathan was to stay in a high rock shelter, to which he would climb with the help of an iron ladder.
On one occasion, the raid of Tirumalai Nayak's army failed because of Vekappunathan's timely alarm. After identifying the reason for his army’s failure, the king’s men bribed the alarm man. Next time, the man did not inform the chief about the forthcoming raid and Tirumalai Nayak's army looted the village.
When the treacherous act of Vekappunathan came to light, Chetty Dalavay took away the iron ladder and let him perish atop the hill. The copper plate is now in possession of a person who has the same name, Vekappunathan.
Santhalingam says, “Belonging to 17th century, the plate gives interesting information about the history of the area and the information system that existed.”
Whatever may be the level of sophistication in passing on information, the crucial importance of communication remains.

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article3602086.ece?homepage=true

ananthwilli

July 12th, 2012, 10:10 AM

Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple or Meenakshi Amman Temple or Tiru-alavai[1][2] (IAST mīnākṣi Amman Kovil, Tamil: மீனாட்சி அம்மன் கோவில்/திருஆலவாய்) is a historic Hindu temple located in the south side of river Vaigai[3] in the temple city[4] of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Parvati who is known as Meenakshi and her consort, Shiva, named here as Sundareswarar (beautiful deity). The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2500 year old city[5] of Madurai. The complex houses 14 gopurams (gateway towers) ranging from 45-50m in height, the tallest being the southern tower, 51.9 metres (170 ft) high,[6] and two golden sculptured vimana (shrine) over sanctum of the main deities. The temple is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, and has been mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature, though the present structure is built during 1623 to 1655 CE[6][7][8] The temple attracts 15,000 visitors a day, around 25,000 during Fridays[9] and gets an annual revenue of sixty million INR. There is an estimated 33,000 sculptures in the temple[9] and it was in the list of top 30 nominees of the "New Seven Wonders of the World". The annual 10 day Meenakshi Tirukalyanam festival celebrated during April–May attracts 1 million visitors.

Madurai gilli

July 26th, 2012, 05:14 PM

Nallathangam, with a head full of white hair, squats on the small cement platform outside her house from five in the morning to ten in the night daily. At 85, she has nothing else to do but simply sit and watch the world go by. Only thrice a day, she disappears briefly behind the curtain hanging over the main door of the house. “I need to eat three small meals. My five sons and their wives provide for me,” she says. Women from adjacent houses occasionally stop by to exchange banter. The postman, the vegetable vendor or the ‘uppu' seller sometimes pause to enquire about her health.

Nallathangam does not complain about life or, for that matter, anything else. Neither does another bent-with-age octogenarian Shanmugam living two lanes away. You will find her also sitting on the threshold the entire day once she has fetched water from the municipality tap 500 m away. “I go to fill water daily at 10 a.m. This one large plastic pot is sufficient for me. After that I enjoy watching the cars and other vehicles and people going past. It is better than watching TV,” she smiles.

One comes across many more such elderly women and their young daughters and younger daughters-in-law inside these narrow lanes, called the ‘kal sandhu', that branch off the busy North Masi Street. These are probably the only niches in the city where life still resembles a slow-motion picture of the 60s and 70s. These are Madurai's lesser known lanes which bear no names, where it is almost dark even in broad daylight, where the sky appears like a blue ribbon through the gap between the roofs of the old and new buildings.

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00903/26MP_MAMP_AILLUS_903247g.jpg

Even if you step inside these lanes in the afternoon, you will find the colourful morning kolams still fresh, women sitting on thinnais gossiping and mechanically finishing household chores. You will smell the strong puli kuzhambu steaming in aluminium pots. Then the sights: clothes drying on a string by one side of the lane; cycles and mopeds chained to windows and doors on the other side; small children happily playing in groups or defecating, alone, in a corner. Cows and goats let out an occasional cry from the sheds, squirrels and rats gnaw into the cow dung, cats and dogs look for food, birds peck into haystack.

Life moves at its own pace and no one seems to be in a rush here. A cycle rings from behind and we almost kiss the walls to make way. A resident of 45 years, Sethuram Konar tells us there are at least 30 such narrow lanes, if not more, that branch off this main road and curve and bend and intertwine before reaching some dead end. Not even two feet wide, some of them run up to a kilometre and even more.

Mostly identified by the communities that inhabit these places, these lanes house some amazing structures. In Aadi Konar Sandhu, we find quite a few century-old houses with antique doors and wooden pillars, many abandoned and some still in use. They share their walls with newer structures. Except for this curious mosaic of the old and the new, it resembles a compressed village life, where people seem to have all the time.

The afternoon calm is occasionally broken by a rhythmic ‘tak tak' – the pounding of betel nuts. Ponnathal, 80, is preparing her post-lunch paakku, as she sits by the hand pump, her legs leisurely stretched Many of these women were born in these houses: they left after they got married and are now back as widows. Their sons and daughters, who now occupy the houses, leave a corner for them. In this burrow of theirs, they chat, fight, cook, exchange curries, watch serials, raise grandchildren and spend most of their time at the doorstep. The lane is their world.

Sooty kitchens and smoking stoves, dingy stairs and cramped rooms, creaking doors and whirring fans, wobbling cots and rickety chairs, torn mats and old calendars with photos of gods and goddesses — they make up the houses built on plots measuring not more than 450 sq. ft. There may be a tussle for space but there is no tension on their faces. They break into a smile whenever they encounter new people like us.

Ashok Kumar, a smartly turned out Yadava College graduate who now works in a pharmaceutical company, waves at us. He is the fourth generation of his family living in the same old house. “All our extended family members also live here. We can't imagine leaving this place built by our forefathers. This is prime location where the monthly rent is Rs. 6,000 and the deposit Rs. 1 lakh advance even for such pigeon-hole accommodation,” he shares.

Along with him, as we step out of the unimaginably narrow lane, a honking jeep on the busy Masi Street throws us back into our real life. Suddenly, the burden of living in a different kind of hustle-bustle comes back. Ashok Kumar shrugs it off saying, “We have learnt to adapt to both the worlds. Inside our lanes, it is very secure and traditional. Just a step outside in the scorching sun, it is the fear of the unknown.”

(City 3Sixty is a monthly column that captures the different moods of the city. It appears last Thursday of every month)

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article2831513.ece

Madurai gilli

July 26th, 2012, 05:17 PM

CITY 3SIXTY At the Vaigai riverbed, the dhobis who keep you spic and span brave the oddities of life

To those who cross the Vaigai on the Albert Victor Bridge, the riverbed with its rows of drying bedsheets looks like a heavily bandaged soldier. Dhobis are among the earliest visitors to the riverbed every morning. The thick, cropped grass between the mossy rocks lays down a green carpet welcome for them.

Along with the dhobis come the cranes to drink at the muddy pools of water. The sun shines bright and there is not a hint of cloud in the sky to filter the rays. Soon we all move on to the only shade there is, a thatched shed the washermen have constructed, so that they can breakfast on last night’s rice.

The washermen are probably the only ones who welcome the summer. Their day begins and ends with the sun, and they work right through the sweltering heat, breaking only for that quick meal and their beedis. Every suitable stone on the riverbed is occupied and the place is soon filled with people.

Garbage dumping yard

As you enter the river, the first thing you notice is the stink of garbage dumped on the banks. Closer to where the dhobis are thrashing the garments on the rocks, you smell washing soda and starch. For the next three hours or so, all you hear is the thwack of clothes on stone and the music and chatter from FM radio. The dhobis spread themselves out, and if they want to talk to each other they shout or use their mobile phones. Further away, children splash each other in the trickling river water.

There are more than 2000 dhobi families living in Anna Thoppe, Sudalaimuthu Lane, Bharathi Nagar near Thathaneri, Aruldosspuram, Avaniapuram, Tirupparankundram, Palanganatham, Vandiyur, Viraganoor Ring Road, Kalmedu in Sakkimangalam, Mathichiyam, K. Pudur and other localities, and they identify themselves by their settlements.

Not all settlements have ‘dhobi khanas’, open-air concrete pens fitted with washing stones, and many prefer to wash and dry clothes on the riverbed. “The space inside the ghat is very limited,” says E. Maruthappan of Anna Thoppe. “Of course, we get water in the ghat without any restriction. But then drying the clothes is a problem. On the riverbed, we have plenty of space.”

M. Muthukumar lives in his own world of laundry and reluctantly lets me in for a day. His family of five live in Sudalaimuthu Lane on the river bank in a single room. The family members squeeze themselves in between the television, the table fan and the steel bureau. “When we have guests, one or two members go out and sleep on the street,” says Muthukumar. “Earlier, we were living in thatched houses. Only recently we changed it with cement roof.”

When the river runs dry, the dhobis run short of water. “As a makeshift arrangement, we group together and dig a well on the riverbed,” says Muthukumar. “We are four and restrict ourselves to one person a day as we should also give time for percolation of water,” he adds.

He collects dirty clothes from his clients and soaks them at home for two days in a boiling vat of washing soda (sodium bicarbonate) and soap oil to remove stains. At the riverbed, he rinses the clothes in fresh water and applies washing blue. Finally, he dips the clothes in starch and dries them. He still uses a charcoal iron to press them.

P. Mookambal of Anna Thoppe, who has been in this profession for 35 years, says the chemicals affect her health. She is in her 60s now. “Nowadays, I fall sick frequently. Huge portion of my earnings goes to the medical expenses.” Though she would like to retire, there is no one to support her for the rest of her life.

The water itself is polluted. “People residing along the banks let their sewage into the river,” says M. Meena of Anna Thoppe. “They should stop this act, as hundreds of dhobis put their hands in the water and it poses serious health hazard. We on our part should restrict chemical use to the dhobi ghat,” she says.

Historical references

Washermen have been in Madurai for ages. Stone inscriptions show they were known as ‘Earankolli’ (dampness killer), according to M. Shanthalingam, secretary, Pandya Nadu Centre for Historical Research. They are referred to as ‘Vannar’ in a Travancore inscription, dated 849 A.D., which also describes the collection of washing stone tax, referred to as ‘Vannar Kal Kaasu’, ‘Vannar Kaanam’ and ‘Vannar Vari’. The term ‘Vannathar’ is found in an inscription dated 905 A.D. Various washerman settlements are mentioned in inscriptions documented in the Department of Archaeology’s volume The South Indian Inscriptions.

So for centuries they have been keeping us all in starched white. In return they earn a pittance and get taken for granted. “Leave alone the money factor, there is no dignity of labour,” laments Muthukumar. “Wherever we go, people look down upon us.”

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/01154/ki30street_jpg_1154887g.jpg

If you look down from the Albert Victor Bridge in the fading light of the late afternoon, you can see the dhobis winding up for the day. They gather the dried clothes from the riverbed and soon the river is deserted.

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/society/article3682503.ece

madurakarenda

August 7th, 2012, 02:51 AM

What Maadakulam is to Madurai

Namma Madurai traces the canals and irrigation system that once fed the lush vicinity of the city.

You leave behind the din and bustle of the bypass when you enter the cement road of Maadakulam village. Cool air carrying the smell of cow dung announces you have arrived in a place that still has all its old charm intact.

Maadakulam udainthaal Madurai Paazh. This simple saying implies the importance of Maadakulam to the Temple City. Biggest of all the tanks in the region, it was the main source of irrigation for the entire wetland of Madurai.

“I believed the tank to be the sea, where people fish often,” my brother once told me. Now, the tank resembles a pond filled knee-deep with slush and silt. Spreading across 326 acres, it can hold 47,25,000 cubic metres of water. Once, the water from this tank filled all the tanks in Madurai before reaching Keezh Madurai, says A. Sakthivel, a villager.

According to C. Santhalingam, retired Archaeological Officer, most of the later Pandya inscriptions refer to our city as ‘Madurodaya vazhanatil Maadakula keezh Madurai’. This inscriptional reference notes that Maadakulam was situated within the limits of ‘Madurodaya vazhanadu,’ a geographical division.

Likewise, later Pandya inscriptions belonging to the 12th and 13th centuries refer to Maadakula keezh Tiruparankundram, Maadakula keezh Ariyur, Maadakula keezh Kulasekarapuram, Maadakula keezh Kodimangalam. From these references, it is inferred that the term ‘kulakeezh’ means a separate geographical division, like kootram or naadu, which is similar to our present taluk and panchayat unions. This simply means the tank fed the wetlands of Madurai. No wonder it looked like a sea to my brother two decades ago.

GUARDIANS AND GODS

The tank has two inscriptions. The 12th century Pandya period inscription found near the north sluice gives detailed information about the water management system that existed in those days.

It talks about a group of tank security guards who are often referred to as ‘eri veera kanam’. “People from various villages (eight sides) were selected and employed as a guarding force of the tank,” says Santhalingam. He says the inscription also contains the symbols of whisks, lamp, dagger, plough and horns. The symbols refer to mercantile guilds. Perhaps, the guild members who were also involved in agro-based activities might have managed the tank with the help of their guards.

Another inscription, belonging to the 18th century, refers to a sluice as ‘Thiru Aalavayan madai’, named after the presiding god of Meenakshi Temple, Aalavaiudaiyar. It recounts an incident in which Arya Puthira Kanaker Nayan Pillai repaired the damaged sluice. Archaeologists have unearthed pieces of black and red ware and burial urns from the vicinity of the tank. If those finds are taken into account, the tank is at least 2000 years old.

All irrigation tanks have a protective deity and Maadakulam has its Edadi Ayyanar on the southern side of the village. Villagers link the birth of Edadi Ayyanar to the mythological story of Mohini Avathar of Lord Vishnu. At the entrance, the temple has two sets of white elephants, statues of Vedan and Vedatchi and Chinna Karuppu and Periya Karuppu, guardian deities of Ayyanar.

The village has places named ‘Arali aadi’ and ‘Thamira Pallam’, referring to the flowers that grew in and near the water. Besides, it is believed that the villagers ground sugarcane and sent cane juice through a canal for the construction of King Thirumalai Naicker’s palace. The presence of an alakal (grinding stone) and use of the name ‘vaikal’ provide credence to that belief. According to 85-year-old Ayyan, both the channel and the alakal have gone underground owing to accumulation of sand. The serene, narrow village road suddenly bustles with activity when a vehicle is heard. Women and children run haphazardly carrying pots and utensils, thinking the water tanker has arrived. Water scarcity has not spared this village.

No matter how many resources we have, unless we learn to maintain and use them properly we won’t benefit by them. Maadakulam as it is now is a standing example of a neglected resource that might have kept a land prosperous.

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article3717340.ece

ANANTH

August 7th, 2012, 10:42 AM

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Few snaps of pudhu mandapam's treasures.

I wish shopping mall at the kunnathur chatram place comes up fast so that the shops located within the pudhu mandapam can be relocated and we can save the rare sculputures for future generations.

MADURAI POOGAL

August 11th, 2012, 02:09 PM

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MADURAI POOGAL

August 11th, 2012, 02:10 PM

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madurakarenda

August 11th, 2012, 05:08 PM

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The Thiruedakam temple, in Madurai, is a storehouse of information.

Thiruedakam or Thiruvedakam, as it is also called, lies at a distance of about 19 km from Madurai on the Madurai-Sholavandan road. It is an over-grown village nestling on the bank of River Vaigai. One has to cross NH-7 through the under-pass to touch T Sholavandan road. The entire stretch from the road branching off from NH-7 is green and full of paddy fields and coconut groves as far as one can see.

Thiruedakam literally means, in Tamil, a respectful home for palm leaf (‘edu’ in Tamil). The ‘edu’ and the place are strongly associated with saint Thirugnana Sambandar, first of the Thevaram-trio, that spread Saivism in the South through the soul-stirring songs.

Legend has it that during the seventh century A.D. when the entire Pandya Kingdom was under the influence of Jainism, Koon Pandya’s queen, Mangayarkarasi, a Chola Princess, who was steeped in Saivism, wanted the ruler Arikesari Parankusa Mara Varman – 670-710 A.D. to follow Saivism. And for this she sought the help of Thirugnana Sambandar, who was staying at a mandapam adjoining the Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple in Madurai.

The effects of Thirumarai

The mandapam, where Sambandar stayed, caught fire. The saint through his hymns (3339 to 3349 of third Thirumarai), prayed to Lord Siva that the heat of the fire that engulfed the mandapam be redirected towards the king, but with a plea not to kill him so that he might become a staunch follower of Saivism. Koon Pandya was afflicted with heat boils and Sambandar cured him by applying vibhuti. Later Sambandar had to take on the opponents in Anal vadham and punal vadham - test by fire and water. The palm leaf bundles carrying his hymns and those of others’ literature were set on fire. Sambandar’s verses survived. Set afloat in the Vaigai, his scripts were carried safely to the bank where an idol of Ganesa stood. A grateful saint called the place ‘Edu Senranai Tharum Edakam.’ It is said that a Siva lingam was installed by Sambandar for worship though it is said to be ‘swayambu.’

The Pandya king became an ardent Saivite. To commemorate the spiritual role of Mangayarkarasi, a mandapam was built at the Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple, south of the 1,000-pillared mandapam.

Of the 63 Nayanmars, Mangayarkarasi ranks the 55 for saving Saivism, the king and the subjects. The Thirugnana Sambandar mandapam in South Avani Moola Street owes its origin to the saint and the 292 head of this mutt is Arunagirinatha Sri Gnana Sambanda Desika Paramacharya.

Two rajagopurams

The temple, with such a historical and hagiological background, faces East and has two five-storeyed rajagopurams, one at the entrance of the shrine of the presiding deity, Edakanathar or Edakanatheeswarar, and the other at the entrance of His consort, Elavaar Kuzhali also known as Sugantha Kuntalambika. The lingam is small and attractive. The shrine for the goddess is on the right side of Edakanathar’s. There are a maha mandapam, ardha mandapam and garbha griha at both the sannidhis.

The prakaram of the Lord’s sannadhi has a separate niche for Dakshinamurthy (on the southern wall of the garbha griha), Lingothbavar on the west and Durga on the north. At the western corner is Lord Subramanya with His consorts.

On the southern side are the idols of 63 Nayanmars, presenting a sculptural feast. On the northern side of the prakaram are the statuettes of Saptha Kannis. Near the navagrahas is Bhairavar, a fine piece of sculpture. The ‘tirtham’ of this temple is Brahma tirtham and the sacred tree is ‘vilvam.’

There is a passage from the maha mandapam of Edakanathar to the Amman sannidhi. The idol of Elavaar Kuzhali is a fine piece of sculpture.

While circumambulating the shrine, one can see the figurines of Itcha, Kriya and Gnana saktis on the southern, western and northern sides of garbha griha. A noticeable feature is the presence of the Nandi in the goddess’ sannidhi.

The pillars supporting the maha mandapams of both the shrines have been tastefully sculpted with yakshis in the corbels, which resemble the pillars of the longest corridor at the Rameswaram temple.

On the left side of the entrance to the temple is the high rise basement built in granite which is said to have been left unfinished by a Vijayanagar ruler.

Though shorn of epigraphical evidence to establish the historicity of the temple, it can be easily assumed that it dates back to the seventh century since Gnana Sambandar and Koon Pandya belong to the latter part of that period. Later on, a proper temple must have been built.

In the past century nagarathars took the initiative to renovate it, and the temple ranks fourth among the 14 Siva sthalams in the land of the Pandyas.

The ‘pathigam,’ comprising 11 hymns, sung by Sambandar on Thiruedakam brings out the divinity of the saint and the greatness of the sthalam.

The 11 sloka is ‘Pala Stuthi’ and Sambandar avers that those who read these pieces will be blessed with wealth and freed from all diseases.

The first, second and third ‘thirumarai’ of ‘Panniru Thirumarai’ were sung by Thirugnana Sambandar and are called ‘Thirukadai Kappu’ besides the general name ‘Thevaram.’ Though Sambandar is credited with 16,000 pathigams only 384 from it, and 4,159 songs have so far been traced out.

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article3745986.ece

madurakarenda

August 12th, 2012, 05:17 AM

The city's most ancient street is still shining with the same fame and glory. We takes a quick tour...

Is it possible to name the first road in any city in the world? But, in Madurai Aadi Veedhi is the first road formed during the construction of the city. The significance of the street is that town plan was once given by the Lord Shiva to the thence Pandya King in his dream.

Later, he ordered the king to build a temple for him and Goddess Meenakshi amidst the Kadamba forest (In those days, Madurai was nick named Kadambavanam as the city was covered with Kadamba tress) and to form roads around the Temple. The roads were formed in concentric squares. The first road — Aadhi Veedhi is situated inside the temple campus and is being utilised only for devotees and public traffic is banned right from the beginning. There is a mythological belief about Aadi Veedhi that your sins are pardoned if the devotees walk to complete the entire square course. So, devotees usually finish their holy walk first around the Aadi Veedhi and then enter the temple with a pure heart!

As per the spiritual belief, the month of Aadi is wholly dedicated to the devotional aspects of life. This is the main reason people avoid all sort of functions including marriages, house warming functions and inaugural functions so that the people can concentrate only on devotional happenings and proceedings. True to the fact, Aadi Veedhi is fully filled with devotional activities happening in all the months of the year.

Lalitha, a staunch devotee explains in details. She says, "If anyone wants to go around the world and seek all the blessings of all the Gods around the earth, they can simply choose to finish a course through Aadi Veedhi. It has an equivalent benefit. The nearby residents come here daily and perform the holy walk in Aadi Veedhi. As per the 'Thiruvilayadal Purana', Lord Vinayaga chose to go around his parents to get the precious fruit whereas Lord Muruga started his physical journey across the whole world and failed in the competition of wisdom. This can be visibly compared with the localities performing the holy walk around the Aadi Veedhi."

There is a stage situated in the north eastern corner of the Aadi Veedhi. Spiritual meetings and speeches often take place on this stage. All the popular spiritual orators make their inspiring speeches on this stage and the devotees who go around the street have a good relaxation at this point.

Aadi Veedhi hosts another place called 'Pasu Madam' where the cows are being taken care. These cows are donated by the devotees and they are well maintained. Female devotees, especially from the northern part of India buy greens ( Agathukeerai) that are available in front of the Pasu Madam and feed them to the cows. People do it and hope they would be blessed by Goddess Komatha.

"It should be appreciated that the coir mats are spread covering the entire stretch of Aadi Veedhi as the entire surface is formed by a rough surface. During summer, the people were finding it difficult to use the Aadi Veedhi to walk on it with bare foot. The step taken by the temple authorities with the coir mats is a good task as they comfort the devotees," says Rohit, a college student.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/travel/Madurais-ancient-streets-temples/articleshow/15448864.cms

rsubbu.mdu

August 12th, 2012, 09:58 AM

Thanks for sharing the article on Aadi Veedhi. Coming to the veedhi's, the only Veedhi's which came up after British took over are the Veli Veedhi's which were formed by closing the moat around the fort wall which existed till the period of Nayak's. I still feel that Viswanatha Nayak who played a key role in reviving the fortunes of Madurai and who laid out the present lotus styled streets around the temple has been totally forgotten.

rsubbu.mdu

August 12th, 2012, 10:02 AM

Pretty decent write up ...

http://templesinsouthind.wordpress.com/tag/meenakshi-amman-temple-madurai/

rsubbu.mdu

August 12th, 2012, 10:17 AM

Not sure whether these are shared...

Tales of the lanes
Nov9, 2011, The Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article2611822.ece)

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Hidden among the city's congested neighbourhoods are stretches with peculiar names

It happens sometimes that an ordinary thing suddenly seems intriguing. It might have been right in front of you for years together, and then you encounter it in a different context and feel there is something unique about it.

Karivepilaikara Theru has gone by this name for almost a century and most Maduraiites probably walk through it every third day, but the name suddenly sounded peculiar one fine morning when a post card from Karivepilaikara Theru arrived at our doorstep.

Surely it's unusual to name a place after curry leaves. To get there, you take a left from the Vakil New Street to Chellathamman Temple, then a right into a small lane and again right into North Masi Street towards the Krishna Temple. Behind that is the lane. And by that time, you can't help feeling you're on a real hunt.

Madurai is a maze of centuries-old lanes and by-lanes. But even long-time residents of these lanes are not able to decipher the origin of the street names. They offer only stories, myths, speculations and suggestions. R. Renganathan of Karivepilaikara Street says, “I have heard my grandfather say that once during the king's rule, when Madurai was filled with Kadamba trees, this part of the town was full of karivepilai trees.” Though his explanation was logical and convincing, that there is not a single karivepilai tree in the lane today. Almost every lane and street has a similar tale behind it.

Although Madurai has always been a very small town, it was often referred to as ‘Maanagaram' (city), since it was and still is a vibrant trading centre. Showing us a 1925 map of the city, retired Tamil teacher and researcher D. Devaraj says, “Though the core city of Madurai was very small, history says that it was self-contained and thriving.”

For example, Meenkara Sandhu (“fisherman's lane”) stands testimony to the fish trade that once flourished in the city. Sellers from Tuticorin, Rameswaram and other coastal towns probably brought their fish to this market.

Probing the origin of the street names is not an easy task. “I felt the necessity to do it as there were misconceptions and misinformation about the history of the streets,” says Mr. Devaraj. “Also, lack of proper documented history on street names made my job even tougher. I had to gather information from the references found in the memoirs of American missionaries who were in the city and from the Islamia Kalai Kalanjiam.”

Mr. Devaraj has collected information for about 120 streets and has authored a book, A Study on Street Names of Madurai City. He feels there is plenty to explore.

There appears to be a pattern in the way streets were named. They can be broadly classified into streets named after historical figures and events, occupations, and myths and legends.

“Though there were social divisions, there was order and peaceful co-existence,” says V. Balasubramanian, an architect who has done a project on the core city of Madurai. “The classification exists even today as one could see North Masi Street occupied by those involved in dairy business and South Masi Street thickly populated with those involved in jewellery and textile businesses,” he adds.

Mr. Devaraj points out that there was also a diverse population here, as we can see from, for example, Khansamaettu Theru, which should have been Khan Saheb Maettu Theru, and Rendall Street, named after an American missionary.

Interestingly, no street is named after the Pandia rulers. It may simply appear that people named streets as they wished and after sellers of flowers (Pookara Theru), rice (Arisikara Theru, Pacharisikara theru), spinach (Keerakara Theru), bangles (Valayalkara Theru), betel leaves (Vetrilaikadai Sandhu), limestone (Sunnambukara Theru) and so on. But historians and researchers feel that such names highlight the social history of the city and the old princely state of Madurai.

For those who would like to dig deep into the etymology of the street names in the city, there is plenty to discover.

(To be continued)

HISTORICAL FIGURES AND EVENTS:

Pandian Agazh Theru

Marret Streets

Thalavai Agraharam

Khan Saheb Maettu Theru

Khajimar Theru

LEGENDS AND MYTHS:

Ezhukadal Theru

Puttuthoppe

Valayalkara Theru

Annakuzhi Mandapam Lane

Velliambalam Street

TRADES AND OCCUPATIONS:

Kollampattarai Theru

Chithirakara Theru

Meenkara Lane

Ezhuthanikkara Theru

Sunnambukkara Street

Sayakara Theru

Noolkara Theru

Uppukara Theru

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Emblems of an era
Nov 16, 2011, The Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article2632880.ece)

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In a city that has been alive for more than 2000 years, it's the street names that have outlived landmarks, people and time

With renewed enthusiasm and an added dose of curiosity, we set out on our second trip down the cramped lanes of the city, this time in the southern part, where once the royal families lived. Around the imposing palace, numerous streets branch out into the other parts of the town – all named after different communities and their trades.

Like the statuettes of dancing nymphs that narrated tales to King Vikramaditya, the poetic street names unfold the history behind them as you look closer. Chithirakkara Theru (Painters' Street) has one such incident to narrate – that Raja Ravi Varma learned the nuances of traditional Indian water colour portrait painting from Ramaswamy Naicker, a known painter of that time in the city.

Tucked between East Marret and East Masi Streets, the Chithirakkara Street was once the home of portrait painters and those specialising in temple art. According to N. Sulaimaan, retired Assistant Director, Regional Centre for Art and Culture, painters of Madurai were well known for their expertise. Today, the long, narrow stretch is filled with wholesale jaggery merchants and there's nothing left of its glory.

“Around 300 painter families flourished under the patronage of Naick rulers,” says J. Fathima, a retired Tamil professor. “But there was only one painter family left, when I visited the street in 1981 for my thesis on Madurai street names. The members of these families should have changed their profession after the entry of photography.”

Next to the street is Sayakkara Theru (Dyers' Street), where colours and paints were prepared. This has also become a commercial place. But Ezhuthanikkara Theru, Alavukkara Theru and Thennolaikara Theru still remain residential areas.

Document writers and makers of writing tools occupied Ezhuthanikkara Theru, branching out from Chinnakadai Theru, which cuts across South Masi Street. “In those days people used iron stylus to write on the palm leaves. Schools must have purchased the writing tools from this street,” says Ms. Fathima.

An adjacent lane called ‘Thennolaikara Theru' once thrived with basket and pandal weaving (made of coconut leaves). A number of streets are named after various occupations, such as Kadailakkara Theru, Uppukara Theru and Mettukara Theru.

The layout of these lanes suggests that people involved in related occupations must have lived in adjacent colonies. Farmers must have thrashed grains at Punjamettu Theru and sold hay on Vaikolkara Theru, while the grain must have been measured at the Alavukkara Theru.

Crowded settlements around the Mahal area indicate that people migrated to Madurai predominantly from the south. Correspondingly, the South Gate is still an active trading pocket.

“No doubt Madurai was tagged as ‘thoonga nagaram' (the city that never sleeps), as there were day and night markets (Naalangadi and Allangadi) even in those days,” says C. Santhalingam, Secretary, Pandyanadu Centre for Historical Research.

Pilgrims, who entered the city from the south, passed through the present Meenakshi Kovil Theru, a narrow lane connecting the Venkalakadai Theru-South Avani Moola Street junction with East Chithirai Street, to reach the temple. According to Ms. Fathima, the street was once lined with roadside eateries for the convenience of the pilgrims and hence was previously known as Sothukadai Theru.

Towards the central part of the town, around the temple, the street names take a different form, signifying religious and puranic influence.

Annakuzhi Mandapam Theru, near the West Tower, is named after a ‘thiruvilaiyadal' (divine sport) of Lord Shiva. According to the temple history the Annakuzhi Mandapam on the lane was constructed a century before the time of King Thirumalai Naick.

“The façade of the mandapam is now the two-storey Birla Vishram (a rest house),” says Ms. Fathima.

Ezhukadal Theru is another stretch that refers to thiruvilaiyadal. Connecting East Masi Street with Pudumandapam, the Ezhukadal Theru is said to be a tank that was connected with the Lotus Tank of the Meenakshi Temple. “During the eighties, a water channel was discovered in the place where the Nandi stands today,” says N. Sulaimaan. “Thirumalai Naick built Pudumandapam in such a way that excess water from the temple tank flowed around the central mandapam and drained into the Ezhukadal teppam.” Today, except for the small Kanchanamala Temple, there is no trace of the tank. A huge shopping complex stands in its place. Valayalkara Theru and Puttuthoppu are other places named after thiruvilayadal episodes.

Landmarks have changed, people who lived in these lanes are no more and the trades have shifted to the outskirts of the town but the street names still sing the old songs of Madurai.

(To be continued)

LEGENDS BEHIND THE LANES:

Annakuzhi Mandapam Theru:A fat demon called ‘Kundotharan' came for the wedding of Shiva and Meenakshi and the wedding feast wasn't enough to satiate his hunger. Food was served to him in a huge pit. The whole episode used to be enacted at the mandapam during Thiruvilayadal festival.

Ezhukadal Theru:Kanchanamala, the mother of Goddess Meenakshi, wished to bathe in the seven seas to attain ‘Moksha'. Hearing this, Lord Shiva brought waters from the seven seas into a tank for her. A few decades back, the Ezhukadal Tank was closed.

Valavikara Theru:Lord Shiva came disguised as a bangle seller and relieved the bangle traders of a curse.

Puttuthoppu:The name refers to the play in which Lord Shiva becomes a coolie to taste the ‘puttu' made by an old devotee.

TIDBITS:

Manjanakara Theru branches out of South Masi Street and is named after a group of people whose job was to provide Manjanam, a mixture of turmeric, sandal paste and other fragrances, for daily pujas in the temple.

Sudam Samiyar Sandhu is a south-facing by-lane branching out from Sambandamoorthy Street on the West Masi Street. According to J. Fathima, the lane is named after the priest at the Pillayar Temple of the lane. He used to provide camphor to the Meenakshi Temple and a trust established by him seems to be continuing the work.

Thalavai Theru is the street that leads to the East Tower of the temple. ‘Thalavai' is a subordinate to the king and mostly Brahmins held the post during Naick regime. The present street is supposed to be the Thalavai family settlement.