“I spotted this beauty hiding under the slush,” says A Ravichandran, pointing to the huge veraal fish flapping its fin, while still being held in his hand. He’s proud and excited about his catch. “To be able to catch a fish among 20,000 other people in a tank with knee-deep water is much like an athlete winning a medal in the Olympics,” he says. The centuries-old fishing festival of Kallandhiri near Azhagar Kovil, that concluded last week, is one of its kind in the entire State. It attracts thousands of people from Madurai, Dindigul and Sivaganga districts every year. Fishing enthusiasts can try their luck at the traditional event, which is free, which is a pleasant surprise given how fish farming and fishing have become commercial elsewhere.
The Muthan Swamy temple standing on the banks of the colossal Periyanagini Kanmoi is where people from far and wide gather the previous night, transcending barriers of caste and class. Posters and mike announcements are made one week before the festival, inviting people to literally empty the fish life in the tank. “It’s a ritual where those primarily from the farming community pray for a good yield during the sowing season and let hatchlings into the tank. Once the harvest is over, the festival is held so that the grown-up fish are caught. It’s known as kanmoi azhithal (destruction of the tank),” explains Ravichandran, a regular participant at the annual event. “Year after year, when the tank receives water from the Periyar feeding channel, people let in thousands of hatchlings and during the onset of summer when the water levels plummet, the fishing festival is organised.”
Catch ‘em all: The centuries-old fishing festival of Kallandhiri near Azhagar Kovil in Madurai, is one of its kind in the entire State
Not a single person returns without a catch and that’s the highlight of the festival. One could also see the usage of traditional and nearly-lost fishing techniques and tools. For instance, ootha is a fishing tool made out of bamboo sticks closely tied to form a double-mouthed basket. “The bigger mouth measures about two feet in diameter and the small opening is about six inches. It’s used in catching well-grown and big fish like katla, kendai or veraal, ” explains Ravichandran. “With the bigger opening facing downwards, the ootha is thrust into the slushy tank bed. We put in our hands through the upper small hole to check for fish caught inside. If the fish is medium-sized, we pull it out of the opening and if it’s bigger, we invert the entire basket so that water drains out and the fish is arrested in it.” Kaccha , a net made out of threads and arivalai are some of the other traditional fishing tools used.
Catch ‘em all: The centuries-old fishing festival of Kallandhiri near Azhagar Kovil in Madurai, is one of its kind in the entire State
“People also do free hand fishing in the shallow water; apart from this, small fish varieties are caught in either baskets or even in towels or saris,” says Renga Karuvayan, a travel photographer who visited the festival. “I was surprised to see so many people staying patient all night. Till the village elders gave the green signal, none of them got into the water. But they all plunged in together and within about 30 minutes, the entire event was over. Everyone had a catch in their hands and a smile on their face.”
Catch ‘em all: The centuries-old fishing festival of Kallandhiri near Azhagar Kovil in Madurai, is one of its kind in the entire State
Chithiraveethikaran, who has been documenting festivals in and around Madurai, says that he has not seen a fishing event so spectacular anywhere else in Tamil Nadu. “The moment people got into the tank, we could see schools of fish hopping out of the water, sending in splashes all around. It was a sight to behold. The catch is considered sacred and the people don’t sell it but take it home to cook and feast,” he observes.
Catch ‘em all: The centuries-old fishing festival of Kallandhiri near Azhagar Kovil in Madurai, is one of its kind in the entire State
“The fish eggs will stay dormant in the slush and in the next season of first release of water from Periyar, they will hatch to life, apart from the new set of hatchlings that’ll be introduced. That way, it’s a festival that symbolises the cycle of life and death. Earlier, we used to find native varieties like koravai, vilangu, veraal and aara in abundance, but now it’s mostly only katla , which is not native to the region,” says Ravichandran, who’s also an organic fish farmer.
Catch ‘em all: The centuries-old fishing festival of Kallandhiri near Azhagar Kovil in Madurai, is one of its kind in the entire State
