HEALTH
Situated between the elementary school and Pillayar Koil is the Rural Maternity Centre, built on a piece of land donated by S.Subbiah Konar. It was opened by Shri K.Kamaraj, the then Chief Minister.
This centre is served by a qualified health visitor who is a maternity assistant. She visits the centre on alternate days as she has to take care of some more villages. Some specifics and OTC drugs are available here for minor ailments but no other first aid help is available. The villagers have therefore have to resort to a visiting private medical practitioner on travel to Tirunelveli for medical treatment.
Many a villager who has suffered a stroke or serious ailment has died in the past on their way to the hospital in Tirunelveli.
After the advent of the Welfare Society, representatives have been made to successive Health Minister to upgrade the Maternity Centre into a Public Health Centre. The response is lukewarm.
Meanwhile the Society has repaired the roof, furniture and electrical connections. A couple of well wishers have donated ceiling fans and a refrigerator.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Education
EDUCATION
Prior to independence the level of education was limited in the village. It was mainly the domain of the Brahmins who sent their wards to the schools in Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai. The well heeled ones even rented out small portions of houses in the towns and set up their families in order that children may be within easy reach of schooling requirements.
Credit must go to Shri N G Neelakanta Iyer for running a Thinnai pallikoodam in the front of his house in the agraharam which is known as Perumal Sannadhi Street. He was reported to be a teacher in Thiruvananthapuram but migrated to his native village in the early 30s. In the mid-thirties, Shri Venkatabanu Iyer of Thiruvannathapuram started an aided school up to the higher elementary school supported by the District Board. This school gained popularity as there were no schools in the neibhourhood. Around the year 1940, there were more than 150 pupils including those from Rajavallipuram, Palamadai, Thiruvannathapuram and Keezhanatham (the last two were on the other side of the river). Rent free accommodation was extended to him by the village in the Bajanai Madam at the Eastern end of the agraharam.
The burden of running an institution with a larger attendance but without adequate funds frustrated the headmaster Venkatabanu Iyer. Some kind of misunderstanding arose between him and the villagers and he was forced to quit.
The village elders had in the meantime opened a parallel school in two houses (Venkateswara Vidyalaya) and ran it for one year. Here again, lack of funds and infrastructure impeded their cause. So, they invited the Brothers of Sacred Heart of Jesus at Palayamkottai to run the school on their own terms. Thus was born the St.Joseph’s Higher Elementary School in 1943. As masters in the field of education, they have run the school successfully. The school was upgraded into a high school in the year 1998.
Over 400 students are now pursuing their education now.
Apart from this school, other schools in Thalaiyuthu and Tirunelveli also attract students from Naranammalpuram and adjoining villages. The availability of bus transport has, facilitated even the Dalit children to be educated. Even some school vans are seen transporting children.
The mention of “Dalit children” should not be misunderstood. It only denotes the progress of even poor people and their realization of the importance of education.
It is noteworthy that the school has registered a cent-percent pass in the SSLC examination for five years in a row between 2000 and 2007 AD. The school authorities also help the brighter students to gain admission in colleges.
The Naranammalpuram Welfare Society awards Rs. 1,000/. To the student who scores the highest marks in the SSLC examination from the year 2002-03. About 20 poor students are supplied with note-books by the society.
A library opened in 1958 in functioning in the village to the north of Bazaar Street. Built on a land which was once a rice field the building is in a low lying area, right next to an inundation channel. In the early 2000s, the area was flooded due to heavy rains. The level of water rose to such an extent that most of the books were washed away. A representation was sent to the Director of libraries in 2005 to relocate the library to a more comfortable location. It has met with little success.
With such educational facilities, the literacy rate is 75% which is much higher than the national average.
Literates
Males 79%
Females 68%
Prior to independence the level of education was limited in the village. It was mainly the domain of the Brahmins who sent their wards to the schools in Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai. The well heeled ones even rented out small portions of houses in the towns and set up their families in order that children may be within easy reach of schooling requirements.
Credit must go to Shri N G Neelakanta Iyer for running a Thinnai pallikoodam in the front of his house in the agraharam which is known as Perumal Sannadhi Street. He was reported to be a teacher in Thiruvananthapuram but migrated to his native village in the early 30s. In the mid-thirties, Shri Venkatabanu Iyer of Thiruvannathapuram started an aided school up to the higher elementary school supported by the District Board. This school gained popularity as there were no schools in the neibhourhood. Around the year 1940, there were more than 150 pupils including those from Rajavallipuram, Palamadai, Thiruvannathapuram and Keezhanatham (the last two were on the other side of the river). Rent free accommodation was extended to him by the village in the Bajanai Madam at the Eastern end of the agraharam.
The burden of running an institution with a larger attendance but without adequate funds frustrated the headmaster Venkatabanu Iyer. Some kind of misunderstanding arose between him and the villagers and he was forced to quit.
The village elders had in the meantime opened a parallel school in two houses (Venkateswara Vidyalaya) and ran it for one year. Here again, lack of funds and infrastructure impeded their cause. So, they invited the Brothers of Sacred Heart of Jesus at Palayamkottai to run the school on their own terms. Thus was born the St.Joseph’s Higher Elementary School in 1943. As masters in the field of education, they have run the school successfully. The school was upgraded into a high school in the year 1998.
Over 400 students are now pursuing their education now.
Apart from this school, other schools in Thalaiyuthu and Tirunelveli also attract students from Naranammalpuram and adjoining villages. The availability of bus transport has, facilitated even the Dalit children to be educated. Even some school vans are seen transporting children.
The mention of “Dalit children” should not be misunderstood. It only denotes the progress of even poor people and their realization of the importance of education.
It is noteworthy that the school has registered a cent-percent pass in the SSLC examination for five years in a row between 2000 and 2007 AD. The school authorities also help the brighter students to gain admission in colleges.
The Naranammalpuram Welfare Society awards Rs. 1,000/. To the student who scores the highest marks in the SSLC examination from the year 2002-03. About 20 poor students are supplied with note-books by the society.
A library opened in 1958 in functioning in the village to the north of Bazaar Street. Built on a land which was once a rice field the building is in a low lying area, right next to an inundation channel. In the early 2000s, the area was flooded due to heavy rains. The level of water rose to such an extent that most of the books were washed away. A representation was sent to the Director of libraries in 2005 to relocate the library to a more comfortable location. It has met with little success.
With such educational facilities, the literacy rate is 75% which is much higher than the national average.
Literates
Males 79%
Females 68%
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The name Naranammalpuram
The name Naranammalpuram
According to the late Shri Sankara Sastrigal who lived in the village in the late ‘40s, the name of the village was so given as it was gifted to Vedic Brahmins by a Queen of the Nayak Dynasty, Narayani Ammal 400 years ago. (However this does not find a place in the Govt.archives – there was no such queen!)
Originally known as Dhoorva Thadagam (AruganKulam in Tamil) the village was situated a little away on the Western side of its present location. But as the river changed its course to the North, the agraharam was shifted to the east.
The new name, Naranammalpuram was given in accordance with the age-old practice of naming a new place after Lord Narayana (According to Shri T V Anantharamanseshan, a scholar from Taruvai – later Asst.Editor, The Hindu)
The village has had the pride of accommodating learned pandits. Swamy Dikshithar (Appayya Dikshithar’s grandson) lived here in 1620 A.D. he was the author of Karthikeya Vijaya.
Veeraraghava Kavi, descendent 7th generation of Achan Maruindra family lives here. He was the author of Achan Dikshitendra Vamsavali; late published in 1923 by P.P.S.Sastri, Supdt of Oriental/Sanskrit Schools, Madras. A copy is available in the Reference Section of Madras University.
Legend has it that Neelakanta Dikshithar who settled in Palamadai was an ardent upasaka and needed Dhoorva grass for his poojas. His disciples used to walk up to Dhoorva Thadagam (AruganKulam) to collect such grass. After his time, his son Swami Dikshithar settled in this village.
From the above it may be seen that Mangammal ruled in 1689 whereas the village had existed as early as 1620.
With the decline of the Vijayanagar dynasty in the late 16th century several communities, Maravas, Nayaks, Yadhavas and Brahmins migrated to South India in search of occupations. (History of Tirunelveli – Pope Coldwell).
Among the Brahmins, some having found the river banks of palar and Cauvery overrun by the earlier settlers, settled in eight villages of Tirunelveli District. They were Ambasamudram, Gopalasamudram, Kodaganallur, Naranammalpuram, Pattamadai, Palamadai Taruvai and Viravanallur.
Since they came from the northern parts, they were called vadamas and spoke Telugu. This migration is believed to have happened around the late 1500’s.’ as Neelakanta Dikshithar settled in Palamadai just about 1610 AD in the later years of life.
Cherishing their memories of their Telugu origin, they worshipped Venkateswara as their Kula Deivam. The Nayak kings who ruled Pandya Desam also built several temples for Lord Venkateswara in the district. The descendants of Neelakanta Dikshithar continued to live in AruganKulam till as late as 1950s. notable among them was M.S. Viswanatha Aiyer who was practicing as a lawyer in Madurai. (Sri Appayya Dikshithar by N.Ramesan IAS – 1972).
The other communities who migrated also formed their settlements around the
Agraharam. Most of them resorted to agriculture, although every caste was represented by their craft. There were carpenters, blacksmiths, potters and oil mongers. There were a few Muslim families too who worked as masons.
Some of these classes were violent natured. Instead of engaging themselves in productive pursuits, they resorted to rioting and dacoity and were even branded criminals tribes. The British Government had enacted the CT Act by which they were prevented from unlawful activities through several punishments and incarceration.
Even in the 21st century, they prefer to be middlemen in agricultural tracts. They prefer to supererise tilling by scheduled castes rather than tilling. By contract leasing, they raised crops on land belonging to someone else. By not paying the landlords their dues, they enriched themselves. Such ill-gotten wealth is used for lending money at usurious rates of interest to poor farmers and small traders. This gave them unlimited power of men and money.
The other communities lived more or less in harmony with each other what politics has done in the last three decades is open for everyone see. (Tamilnadu Gazetteer – Tirunelveli District – 2002: History of Tirunelveli – Bishop Caldwell)
Aadhi Narayanaath Jathaha
Kethaha Grama Eva Cha
Saampradhayika Vidhinaa
Narana Jithi abhidheeyathae
(Viswa karma Vaasthu Shastra)
A tamil scholar expressed the view that the Tamil version naranan maal puram cannot be ruled out.
According to the late Shri Sankara Sastrigal who lived in the village in the late ‘40s, the name of the village was so given as it was gifted to Vedic Brahmins by a Queen of the Nayak Dynasty, Narayani Ammal 400 years ago. (However this does not find a place in the Govt.archives – there was no such queen!)
Originally known as Dhoorva Thadagam (AruganKulam in Tamil) the village was situated a little away on the Western side of its present location. But as the river changed its course to the North, the agraharam was shifted to the east.
The new name, Naranammalpuram was given in accordance with the age-old practice of naming a new place after Lord Narayana (According to Shri T V Anantharamanseshan, a scholar from Taruvai – later Asst.Editor, The Hindu)
The village has had the pride of accommodating learned pandits. Swamy Dikshithar (Appayya Dikshithar’s grandson) lived here in 1620 A.D. he was the author of Karthikeya Vijaya.
Veeraraghava Kavi, descendent 7th generation of Achan Maruindra family lives here. He was the author of Achan Dikshitendra Vamsavali; late published in 1923 by P.P.S.Sastri, Supdt of Oriental/Sanskrit Schools, Madras. A copy is available in the Reference Section of Madras University.
Legend has it that Neelakanta Dikshithar who settled in Palamadai was an ardent upasaka and needed Dhoorva grass for his poojas. His disciples used to walk up to Dhoorva Thadagam (AruganKulam) to collect such grass. After his time, his son Swami Dikshithar settled in this village.
From the above it may be seen that Mangammal ruled in 1689 whereas the village had existed as early as 1620.
With the decline of the Vijayanagar dynasty in the late 16th century several communities, Maravas, Nayaks, Yadhavas and Brahmins migrated to South India in search of occupations. (History of Tirunelveli – Pope Coldwell).
Among the Brahmins, some having found the river banks of palar and Cauvery overrun by the earlier settlers, settled in eight villages of Tirunelveli District. They were Ambasamudram, Gopalasamudram, Kodaganallur, Naranammalpuram, Pattamadai, Palamadai Taruvai and Viravanallur.
Since they came from the northern parts, they were called vadamas and spoke Telugu. This migration is believed to have happened around the late 1500’s.’ as Neelakanta Dikshithar settled in Palamadai just about 1610 AD in the later years of life.
Cherishing their memories of their Telugu origin, they worshipped Venkateswara as their Kula Deivam. The Nayak kings who ruled Pandya Desam also built several temples for Lord Venkateswara in the district. The descendants of Neelakanta Dikshithar continued to live in AruganKulam till as late as 1950s. notable among them was M.S. Viswanatha Aiyer who was practicing as a lawyer in Madurai. (Sri Appayya Dikshithar by N.Ramesan IAS – 1972).
The other communities who migrated also formed their settlements around the
Agraharam. Most of them resorted to agriculture, although every caste was represented by their craft. There were carpenters, blacksmiths, potters and oil mongers. There were a few Muslim families too who worked as masons.
Some of these classes were violent natured. Instead of engaging themselves in productive pursuits, they resorted to rioting and dacoity and were even branded criminals tribes. The British Government had enacted the CT Act by which they were prevented from unlawful activities through several punishments and incarceration.
Even in the 21st century, they prefer to be middlemen in agricultural tracts. They prefer to supererise tilling by scheduled castes rather than tilling. By contract leasing, they raised crops on land belonging to someone else. By not paying the landlords their dues, they enriched themselves. Such ill-gotten wealth is used for lending money at usurious rates of interest to poor farmers and small traders. This gave them unlimited power of men and money.
The other communities lived more or less in harmony with each other what politics has done in the last three decades is open for everyone see. (Tamilnadu Gazetteer – Tirunelveli District – 2002: History of Tirunelveli – Bishop Caldwell)
Aadhi Narayanaath Jathaha
Kethaha Grama Eva Cha
Saampradhayika Vidhinaa
Narana Jithi abhidheeyathae
(Viswa karma Vaasthu Shastra)
A tamil scholar expressed the view that the Tamil version naranan maal puram cannot be ruled out.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
about us
NARANAMMALPURAM WELFARE SOCIETY
Even after 60 yrs of impendence Naranammalpuram continues to be the typical Indian village of the days of gone, uncared for, neglected and devoid of development.
In order to improve the living standards of the people and bring home the benefits of all government schemes for rural development, the Naranammalpuram Welfare Society was floated by a team of old men in Chennai who had connection with the village by birth, nativity or long time stay. Initially 21 members enrolled themselves enabling us to have the society registered under the Tamilnadu Societies Registration Act 1975. The number given was 301/2001. Over the years, the enrolment figures reached 104 in 2007-08. The present strength is 91.
Objects of the society
1. To engage in all activities for the Welfare of Naranammalpuram Village, comprising Naranammalpuram, Ananthakrishnapuram, Arugankulam, Kattudayar Kudiyiruppu and Kurichikulam areas.
2. To liaise with local bodies, Government departments and people’s representatives for improving the infrastructure in order that these village areas may be properly connected with Tirunelveli, Palayankottai and Thalaiyuthu towns.
3. To take up with the government to reopen the Primary Health Centre and to activate the drinking water supply scheme.
4. To assist the authorities of the existing High school in educating more village folk
5. To persuade a Nationalized or Scheduled Bank to provide Banking facilities within Naranammalpuram.
6. To persuade one such Bank to adopt the above said villages under the Bank’s Rural Development Programme and
7. To enroll as Members all the Village folk and non-resident citizens employed or settled elsewhere, to collect subscriptions and donations for the society to facilitate executing all planned and unplanned activities which will benefit the villages.
Subscription
Initially it was agreed that every member shall pay Rs.2,000 towards the corpus fund and Rs100 as annual subscription. Later some members offered to pay a lump sum of Rs.1,000 as life subscription.
Office Bearers
Mr. N R Rangaswamy Iyengar who was 91 yrs old at the time of registration was elected President. He continues in office.
The other office bearers are:
Mr. Rajagopalan Industrialist Vice President
Ms. Latha Krishnan Treasurer
Mr. C Harikrishnan, Lawyer was the first treasurer. On his migration from Chennai, Ms. Latha Krishnan was elected for the post.
Mr. S. Krishna Businessman Secretary
Besides the above six others are members of the Executive committee.
For further details about the Society, membership and subscription you may mail Mr. S Krishna, Secretary at pertikrishna@gmail.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
