Few months from now, people entering the Madurai District Police Office will get to see trees endemic to this region during the Sangam age. Thanks to efforts of Superintendent of Police N. Manivannan, who has set up Silappathigaram Solai, a garden with species that find a mention in e Silappathigaram, one of the five great epics of Tamil literature.
A student of History and a voracious reader, it struck Mr. Manivannan that Kadachanendal (Kadaisi silambu enthal) has a reference in Silappathigaram. “It was through the forest in this area that the hero and heroine of the epic, Kovalan and Kannagi, walk through when they enter Madurai. The author, Elangovadigal, narrates all the 24 species that were available in the forest in those days,” he explained.
When the Tamil Nadu Police Housing Corporation found fault with a tank located in front of the newly-constructed District Police Office building developing cracks and wanted to fill it up, Mr. Manivannan thought of creating a garden replicating the Silapathigaram forest.
The tank was filled up with some 1,000 loads of earth brought from a nearby place.“With lot of difficulties, C. Balasiva, a horticulturist from TVS Srichakra and doctor Badri collected all the species. One of them - pidavam - was very rare,” he added.
With the sponsorship of around ₹6 lakh from TVS Srichakra under its Corporate Social Responsibility activities, the ground measuring around one acre was prepared with drip irrigation system.
A separate borewell for the garden was also sunk.
On Wednesday, the SP along with Additional SP K.G. Narasimhavarman, General Manager (CSR - TVS Srichakra) S. Karmegam, and Chief Security Advisor (TVS Group) A. Ganesan planted the saplings.
A board explaining the salient features of the Silappathigaram Solai would be put up at the garden. A police canteen would also come up in the garden.
