Scholars familiar with N Ramasamy’s Biography of Appayya Dikshithar would have known about his grand nephew Neelakanda Dikshithar who settled in Palamadai, 3 kms from east of N.puram. One of his disciples Swami Dikshithar lived in N.Puram around 1620 AD. He was the author of Karthikeya Vijaya.
A descendant of Neelakanta Dikshithar who lived in N.Puram was Veeraraghava Kavi (7th generation). He was the author of Dikshitendra Vamsavali in Sanskrit. Achar Makindra was the brother of Appayya Dikshithar. This book was later published in 1923 by Shri P P Subramania Sastri, Superintendent of Oriental Schools, Madras.
Pudumai Pithan, the stormy petrel of the Tamil short story, has mentioned AruganKulam (aka N.Puram) in his short story ‘Pudhiya Koondu” in 1940.
Writing under the penname of Meenakshi Krishna, this blogger has written three short stories in Kalki (1960 – 71) with Aravangulam as base. It is understood that D S Varadhan son of Desikacharaiar, who retired from Press Information written a number of short stories in English and Tamil in late 30’s and early 40’s.
Mrs.Saradha Srinivasan wife of N S Srinivasan has written a novel “janani: in Tamil based on N.Puram. She is a free lance journalist who lived in Mumbai for a number of years. She lives in Bangalore now with her son.
Indu Balachandran is a niece of N L Krishnan Retd Chairman of Bharath Electronics Ltd, Bangalore. She writes regularly in “The Hindu” magazine, mostly on her experiences while traveling abroad. Occasionally she writes humorous pieces as well.
It is not uncommon for rural folks to be well-versed in Puranas folklore. This blogger can list out a few of them:
(i) Malayandi Konar an agriculturist used to recite Viveka Chintamani in the 40’s with appropriate explanations. His other favourites were “Periya Ezuthu Vikramadhithyan” and Nalla Thangal Charithram. Though narrated in folk lingo they were meaningful and absorbing.
(ii) M Shanmugam, later President, Taluk Congress Committee, was an exponent of Kunangudi Masthan’s songs.
(iii) Maa Subbiah Chettiar was well versed in mythological poetry and used to read Chitraputhra story on the day of Nainar Nombu every year.
(iv) Poogesa Varadhan (alias Boothathan was equally used in folk songs
The Agraharam had its own crop of music makers. Ms.Gomathi Ammal, Daughter of V Sundararama Aiyer dedicated herself to teaching carnatic music and veena till the late 1950s. N S Gomathi and N S Visalakshi were two of her disciples. The latter known as Vijaya conducts Bajans and leads her troupe all over south.
N R Lakshmi, daughter of Ramasubha Vadhyar, was well versed in songs on Krishna sung on the occasion of kolattam, javantarai. During festivals, she and other womenfolk used to entertain the villagers with their limited repertoire on carnatic music imbibed through oral tradition.
Though not of acclaimable standards, these performances were noteworthy as they emanated from villagers who, in those days had very little education, with no scope to libraries or live concerts.
Harihara Bhagavathar was a roving kalakshebam performer, used to visit N.Puram for after dusk pravachanams making people sit in rapt attention till midnight.
Ganapathi Subramanian (Appu Vadhyar) was the organiser of Venkateswara Bhajan Sabha. Apart from pre dawn bhajans in the month of Margazhi, there were uncha vridhi and Deepa Pradakshinams every now and then. He had an equally versatile contemporary in Lakshminarayana Josier of Pazhaya Gramam. Both of them inspired young men of the day in the devotional music.
Mani Bhagavathar of Thiruvannathapuram (on the southern bank of Tambraparani), opposite of N.Puram was a qualified musician. Because of lack of support for music he was running a ‘coffee club’ in N.Puram. he was also an enthusiastic participant in the cultural events of N.Puram. Falling into bad times and bad company, he hit the battle. On most full moon days he drank heavily sat with his friends on the river sands and sang for long hours. Kittappa’s songs were often repeated by him.
On the spiritual side, Neelakanda Iyer (Kandu Sir) used to read Bhagavatham and Ramayanam in the late afternoons loudly. The devout thronged his Thinnai to listen to his narration in the hope of earning punyam.
Friday, September 26, 2008
TAMBRAPARANI - the perennial river
The river Tambraparani flows on the southern side of Naranammalpuram. Also known as Poorva Vahini as she flows here, there are five Theertha Ghats, viz. Rama Theertham, Jatayu Theertham, Rudrapada Theertham Papa Vimochana Theertham & Asrutha Theertham.
All these ghats lie between AruganKulam (Pazhaya Gramam) and Ananthakrishnapuram.
Rama Theertham and Jatayu Theertham are believed to be the spots where Sri Rama granted Moksha status to Jatayu in his last days. Adi Amavasya is an important day when most people converge here for performing religious rites for their forefathers.
Sources: (i) Samkshepa Tambraparani Mahatmiyam (ii) Sthala Puranam of Lakshminarayana Perumal.
Although a number of explanations have been given for the nomenclature of the river, the one reason appealing to this writer is as follows:
During the receding of the floods in 1945, there were small pools of water near the Elephant Rocks lying in the middle of the river. These rocks were blasted by various classes for construction work. As these pools started drying up, this writer had wondered the various layers of sand, each one with a different colour Ochre Red, Grey, Brown, Blue and black. With the inquisitiveness of youth, the writer collected some samples but had lost them subsequently.
In an analysis of these sands they were found to be pure copper which assumed different hues in changing temperatures. One can conclude that the meaning of the Sanskrit word Tambraparani meaning “Carrier of copper” is very appropriate.
The waters of this river helped agriculture in and around Naranammalpuram being fed from Suthamalli canal.
Back to the 1940s: to the eastern side of elephant rocks, there were two shrines buried in the sands, with their terraces alone being visible. Whenever there was a drought, priests used to dig pools in front of the shrines and perform Varuna Japam for hours, all the time standing in knee-deep water. Believe it or not at the end of the third day, rains lashes out the area, bringing floods in its train.
Beginning of the 60’s increasing population around our village demanded sand for constructing houses. Like everywhere else in Tamilnadu Naranammalpuram also witnessed large scale mining of sand, resulting in both the shrines stand to their full size in the midst of water. With all sands disappearing, the river bed is full of sharp rock floor and it is difficult to cross on foot without shedding blood.
Meanwhile as cement factory and township were established in Thalaiyuthu water was drawn for them through pipelines. Initially a pumping station was erected on the southern side for taking water to the town of Palayamkottai. On the other hand water for drinking was made available to the villages around Naranammalpuram only in the new millennium through the efforts of Mr. P H Pandian, Member of Parliament. A high level water tank was built to the south of Venkatesa Perumal Temple and running water was made available to the individual houses.
With sand mining having lowered the level of the river bed, collection of water at the Suthamalli Dam end has also gone down. The flow into the canal has become limited, thus hampering agricultural operations downstream of the canal. It is not uncommon that lands are not cultivated in some years. Another contributing factor is the forcible issue of water for drinking purposes for the Municipalities of Tuticorin and Arumuganeri and the factory townships there. The need to quench the thirst has diminished the production of grain.
In the collection of poems, T V Makarabhushanam wrote:
“from the city of golden paddy fields
Where the showers nod in assonance
While you amble along
Encircled by the soft flowing river
Whose waters remain an elixir
To all folks that cluster on the banks
But of late polluted with rubbish and excrement
Adding to the murky scene that saps life!
The word elixir is amply substantiated by the great chef Arusuvai Natarajan who attributes the taste of Thirunelveli halwa to the water from Tambraparani.
All these ghats lie between AruganKulam (Pazhaya Gramam) and Ananthakrishnapuram.
Rama Theertham and Jatayu Theertham are believed to be the spots where Sri Rama granted Moksha status to Jatayu in his last days. Adi Amavasya is an important day when most people converge here for performing religious rites for their forefathers.
Sources: (i) Samkshepa Tambraparani Mahatmiyam (ii) Sthala Puranam of Lakshminarayana Perumal.
Although a number of explanations have been given for the nomenclature of the river, the one reason appealing to this writer is as follows:
During the receding of the floods in 1945, there were small pools of water near the Elephant Rocks lying in the middle of the river. These rocks were blasted by various classes for construction work. As these pools started drying up, this writer had wondered the various layers of sand, each one with a different colour Ochre Red, Grey, Brown, Blue and black. With the inquisitiveness of youth, the writer collected some samples but had lost them subsequently.
In an analysis of these sands they were found to be pure copper which assumed different hues in changing temperatures. One can conclude that the meaning of the Sanskrit word Tambraparani meaning “Carrier of copper” is very appropriate.
The waters of this river helped agriculture in and around Naranammalpuram being fed from Suthamalli canal.
Back to the 1940s: to the eastern side of elephant rocks, there were two shrines buried in the sands, with their terraces alone being visible. Whenever there was a drought, priests used to dig pools in front of the shrines and perform Varuna Japam for hours, all the time standing in knee-deep water. Believe it or not at the end of the third day, rains lashes out the area, bringing floods in its train.
Beginning of the 60’s increasing population around our village demanded sand for constructing houses. Like everywhere else in Tamilnadu Naranammalpuram also witnessed large scale mining of sand, resulting in both the shrines stand to their full size in the midst of water. With all sands disappearing, the river bed is full of sharp rock floor and it is difficult to cross on foot without shedding blood.
Meanwhile as cement factory and township were established in Thalaiyuthu water was drawn for them through pipelines. Initially a pumping station was erected on the southern side for taking water to the town of Palayamkottai. On the other hand water for drinking was made available to the villages around Naranammalpuram only in the new millennium through the efforts of Mr. P H Pandian, Member of Parliament. A high level water tank was built to the south of Venkatesa Perumal Temple and running water was made available to the individual houses.
With sand mining having lowered the level of the river bed, collection of water at the Suthamalli Dam end has also gone down. The flow into the canal has become limited, thus hampering agricultural operations downstream of the canal. It is not uncommon that lands are not cultivated in some years. Another contributing factor is the forcible issue of water for drinking purposes for the Municipalities of Tuticorin and Arumuganeri and the factory townships there. The need to quench the thirst has diminished the production of grain.
In the collection of poems, T V Makarabhushanam wrote:
“from the city of golden paddy fields
Where the showers nod in assonance
While you amble along
Encircled by the soft flowing river
Whose waters remain an elixir
To all folks that cluster on the banks
But of late polluted with rubbish and excrement
Adding to the murky scene that saps life!
The word elixir is amply substantiated by the great chef Arusuvai Natarajan who attributes the taste of Thirunelveli halwa to the water from Tambraparani.
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