How Coimbatore dealt with epidemics in the past

In the light of the current Coronavirus epidemic, city chronicler Rajesh Govindarajulu recalls earlier visitations of plague and smallpox

People flocked to the temple of Plague Mariamman during times of epidemics

Coimbatore has seen many epidemics before the current Coronavirus, says Coimbatore’s historian Rajesh Govindararulu. It has had nearly 10 visitations of the plague; the first recorded one was in 1903 and the last in 1942. And several serious outbreaks of small pox. In his book Idhuvo Engal Kovai , Kovai Kizhar CM Ramachandran, says that approximately 3,500 people died each time the plague struck at the turn of the 20th Century.

Naatu vaidyars were active in treating people, saays Rajesh. In 1903, there is evidence of an imposing man, on his horse, distributing medicines. This was Periya Govinda Swamy Naidu (1858-1916 ) and the father of G Kuppuswamy Naidu. A

naatu marundhu kadai functioned from his home and it was common to see him visit afflicted households along with two other practitioners of native medicine, Sodalamuthu and Bhashyakarulu, and an assistant. There is also record of one CK Subramanium Mudaliar., who got the plague in the 1900s and moved from Vysial Street to Ramanathapuram where his wife Meenakshi nursed him back to health. She also nursed others with the help of another

naatu vaidhyar called Murugaiya Pandithar.

Thankfully, casualties diminished over the years as hygiene and awareness improved. Newly formed localities were better at keeping their surroundings clean. Doctors went around and announcements were made by sanitary workers. A special task force called the Plague Police patrolled the city. Rajesh mentions a person called Hafiz Sahib who ensured hygiene was maintained and that people were vaccinated. There was reluctance and fear in coming forward to be inoculated and the authorities had to pay people to be inoculated. Men were paid six annas, women three and children two if they stepped up. If anyone hid information connected to plague, they were punished, as were those who visited the plague affected household. The municipality also took it upon itself to supply households with rat-traps with bait.

Predictably, many people wanted to leave the city for safer destinations. Usually they set off on pilgrimages. But they could not just up and leave. They were checked for the disease and, if found uninfected, issued a ‘plague passport’. The sanitary officer at the destination would check the plague passport and only then permit entry. This was 100 years ago!

Divine succour came from Plague Mariamman or Black Mariamman. People flocked to her temple located between Big Bazaar and Raja streets, and walked on fire with faith and hope. They carried lemons, turmeric, gooseberries and neem — all said to build immunity on their heads. The Thoraiyar Veedhi Bhadrakaliamman (near Vysial Street) also dispensed her grace in the trying times.

Fevers and pandemics were common those days and they spread rapidly especially during temple festivals. It goes to the credit of Dr G T Gopalakrishna Naidu (1900-1991) who inoculated people by the thousands in order to keep them safe.

Smallpox was the other scourge. Rajesh’s grandfather R Krishnan got it in 1930 when he was 10 years old. His grandmother moved him to the outhouse, and laid him down on banana leaves and nursed him. She assured him he would come out of it stronger and live long. He lived for 95 years (died in 2016),”says Rajesh adding that people were advised against making fun of people’s pockmarks. They were warned that Amman would disapprove and tthat they would be visited by the pox. But inoculation worked wonders and the epidemic died out.

Rajesh clearly remembers seeing a poster near Town Hall in 1975. “It announced a reward of ₹5, 000 to anyone who shared information about people who had smallpox! The Tamil Nadu government knew that no one would because it had been comprehensibly eradicated.”

Another indelible memory of that day is “returning from the Dandu MariammanTemple after recovering from my chicken pox attack and, more importantly, being bought my first Amar Chitra Katha ( The Pandava Princes ). I still have it. It was Issue 13, and it cost ₹1.50!”