Lime binds Sunnambukulam on the banks of the Pulicat lake to a glorious past. Brave young men of the fishing hamlet 60 km north of Chennai take long, deep and dangerous dives and scoop out seashells from the lakebed to extract lime, a mineral used for construction at least from the Sangam age. The lime from here now breathes new life into heritage structures in Chennai and elsewhere in Tamil Nadu.
Reddiyars, as the mining community around the lake is known locally, were originally from Andhra Pradesh, just a few kilometres away, but, with the arrival of the British, moved closer to the sea for economic reasons. Several centuries ago, the community ventured into deep-water mining and set up more than 30 crusher units at Sunnambukulam and nearby villages such as Rasapapalayam, Chinna Kokkupalayam, Periya Kokkupalayam, Periya Kuppam and Kattur, where nearly 600 families live.
Divided into groups of five, the miners, mostly relatives and in their late 20s, enter the water. Each has his task cut out: one helms the sails of the boat and takes care of logistics; the “lucky” miner (one who has hit upon seashell repositories many times) divines within 5 km of the lake bund using a thin 15-foot iron rod. He plunges the rod into the 10-foot-deep water and if it hits any object, two miners dive to the lakebed to dig for seashells. Once the spot is identified and the mine dug, two teams of two miners each take over. One team collects seashells in a bamboo basket that can carry up to 20 kg. The other brings the basket to the surface. The seashells are cleaned to remove sand and clay before it is loaded on the boat, which can carry up to 20 tonnes. The work starts before sunrise and ends after sunset. On the shore, the seashells are dried for a few days before they are burnt with coal in an open furnace for 12 hours. Korrukkupet in north Chennai is the only other place where such crusher units function today. Sangam literature speaks of how lime mortar combined with jaggery and harde ( Kaduka in Tamil and Malayalam) was used for construction purposes. Silappatikaram and Pattinappalai literature make frequent references to it, K. Sridharan, senior archaeologist and former Deputy Director of the Tamil Nadu State Archaeology Department, says. Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal and the Big Temple in Thanjavur are cited as stellar works made using lime mortar.
(Text and Images by B. Jothi Ramalingam)
Wind in their sails: The day begins early at Sunnambukulam as young men from the village 60 km north of Chennai set sail on the Pulicat lake to collect seashells from the lakebed more than five kilometres off the shore. Lime is extracted from the collected shells.
A day’s collection: A miner drops seashells on the boat after removing clay and sand.
On dry land: Miners unload seashells from their boats to the waiting tractors. As many as 300 boats return to the shore with shells every day.
Shell diviners: Traditional knowledge and years of experience make them diviners of seashells. With a 15-foot-long iron rod, they prospect for seashell repositories in the water. Shells are usually found at a depth of 10 feet.
Curing the catch: Seashells are left to dry for a few weeks, or even months, at the crusher units to remove flesh and skin. This weeding process is crucial in ensuring the quality of lime.
Powdery white: Lime fresh from the furnace is packed to the requirements of builders.
Potent mixture: Lime workers at a crusher unit in Korrukkupet in Chennai mix wood coal with the seashells. On an average, 20 kg of coal is added to a tonne of shells and burnt.
Slow burn: Workers dump loads of seashells along with coal into an open brick-made furnace. The shells are burnt for 12 hours and left to cool for a few hours before water is sprinkled on them. The burning usually begins in the evening to keep the outside temperature down.
Filling the cracks: Lime is being mixed with other cementing elements such as jaggery for work on conservation of the Madras High Court. The material is used for roofing purposes and breathe new life into heritage strutures.