Dravidian linguistic scholar Kamil Zvelibil writes that “Tamil literacy and civilisation diffused in a South to North direction.” He says that the “first flourish of an attested Dravidian civilisation — that of the early Tamils appeared in the Southern region of Tamil Nadu, ruled by the Pandyas. The Tamiraparani was the lifeline of this region.
The Pandyas established a network of tanks and canals, to harness the water of the Tamiraparani and its tributaries. The Marudur anaicut, with two channels, one towards the east (Keezhakkal) and the other towards the West (Melakkal), irrigates more than 17,000 acres. The Madras District Gazetteers says repairs to the anaicut were carried out in 1792 by Torin and in 1808 by Collector Hepburn, the latter repair work costing 15,000 rupees.
Overflow at Marudur Dam
“The two channels pre-date the dam, which was probably built only in the 17th century. Sometime around 550 CE, the Pandyas must have ensured that excess water from the Tamiraparani was channelised towards East and West. Areas irrigated by the two channels, are very old human settlements, as for example, Perunkulam (Mahatatakam in Sanskrit), a Divya Desam, praised by Nammazhwar. Melakkal is called Sundara Pandian Peraaru in inscriptions. The name Peraaru, meaning mighty river indicates that a lot of water must have flown through Melakkal. But despite such efforts, floods must have occurred. One such flood must have destroyed a 12th century Siva temple, whose stones were used to build the Marudur anaicut. From inscriptions, we learn that the place was called Marudhandhanallur,” says epigraphist S. Ramachandran.
The Madras District Gazetteers says that the East India Company approved the estimate of 3.85 lakh rupees for building the Srivaikuntam anaicut, but soon after, the Indian Sepoy Mutiny broke out. The anaicut was completed only in 1871, with two channels. The South Main channel feeds the Kadamba Kulam, from where excess water flows into a channel, through the Poraiyar sluice, and is taken to many tanks. Thenthirupperai Thiruppani Maalai says that Kadamba (Kadama) Kulam, as large as an ocean (sagaram), was built by Muthu Veerappa Nayak (17th century), by amalgamating three kulams. A Siva linga and a Chandikeswara image probably of the 8th century CE are seen here.
The Papanasam Dam
But details about the temple cannot be gleaned from the fragmentary inscriptions available. “However, Seevallamaaran Kathai, a 17th century work published recently by U.Ve. Sa. library, says that the deity was known as Ayanaadinathar. This tallies with temple records in Thenthirupperai, which talk of lands belonging to Ayanaadinathar. The place seems to have been known as Thendrankarai puravu vari nallur, which means it must have been a centre for revenue (puravu vari) collection. British records of the 19th century refer to Thenkarai taluk, indicating the importance of the place,” says Ramachandran.
Madras Gazetteers says that when building the Srivaikuntam anaicut, the British had planned to use the channels for navigation also, but this idea was given up later. However, boats went up the main river Tamiraparani to Vazhavallan, in Srivaikuntam taluk. Ramachandran says that Kappal Paattu , a 19th century work, has verses that talk of Narayana Nadar’s boats with sails (paimara kappal) that carried many goods, including saltpetre from Vazhavallan to Fort St. George.
Tiruchendur reference
One of the peculiar features of the Tirunelveli region is the presence of the red fossil sand dunes known as teris, to the north and south of the Tamiraparani. Ramachandran says that Tiruchendur was known as Chenthil, because of these red dunes. “A Puranaanooru verse, says Murugan resides in Chenthil, where foamy waves dash against the shore — vendalai punari alaikkum chenthil.”
The Tiruchendur Subramanya temple
The surface sands of these dunes constantly shift because of the gusty winds. Tamil literature talks of these winds. “Praising Pandya King Nanmaaran, Sangam poet Marudan Ila Naganar says that the violent wind (vali) collects (thoguppa) the sands and forms mounds (manalmedu). The poet says that the king should live for as many years as the grains of sand in the mounds! Andaan Kavirayar (17th century), observed of Tiruchendur Murugan: kaatradikka, Kandanai mukka — the wind blows, and Muruga is submerged by sand. When the temple priests asked him to write on a more positive note, he sang: kaatru amara Kandanai kaakka — the wind subsides and Murugan is saved!” says Ramachandran.
While the devout people of Tiruchendur were accustomed to squally winds, they were totally unprepared for the disaster that hit their beloved temple in the 17th century. Sometime in 1648, merchants of the Dutch East India company took away the Murugan idol of Tiruchendur, and shipped it off to their fort in Galle, Sri Lanka. Professor of history Markus Vink documents the developments that followed. The pradhani of Tirunelveli was Vadamalaiyappan Pillai, who was second in importance only to the King. Vadamalaiayappan, Narayana Mudaliar — governor of Kayalpatnam, Andagala, vice-governor of Kayalpatnam and the Brahmin priests of the temple sent messages to the Company asking for return of the idol.
The locals even offered to construct for them a two-storeyed building in Kayalpatnam, in addition to the one the Dutch already had there. Senior merchant Van der Meijden, was sent with the idol to Kayalpatnam, but few of the Dutch demands were met. So Meijden returned with the idol to Galle. Markus Vink writes that the Company records fall silent after this, and do not tell us what happened to the image. But an inscription in the temple dated 1653 says that, both Vadamalayappan Pillai and King Tirumalai Nayak were present at the reinstallation of the idol. On the occasion, Vendrimalai Kavirayar, a Mukkani Brahmin of Tiruchendur, and author of Tiruchendur sthala purana, wrote a kirtanam in Tamil, ‘Eppodhu Devareer ezhundaruliyadhu’ in Madhyamavati raga.
Lore has it that the Dutch ship that set sail with the idol met with a violent storm and the vessel could be steadied only after the image was thrown into the sea. Subramanya appeared in the dream of a distraught Vadamalaiyappan, who was contemplating suicide, and asked him to pick him up, a floating yellow flower indicating the point. So he went and retrieved his beloved Muruga and reinstalled him.
Dear to Kattabomman
Tiruchendur Murugan was dear to Poligar chief Kattabomman, who would have his food only after the uchikala puja in Tiruchendur. So, he built mandapams all the way from Tiruchendur to Panchalankurichi and stationed drummers in the mandapams, who would communicate about the puja to Kattabomman, who was about 60 km away in Panchalankurichi. Pazhaiya Kayal and Mukkani, both near the mouth of the Tamiraparani, and Arumuganeri are some of the villages that had these mandapams.
The Thenthirupperai temple
Works like the 17th century Mukkoodal Pallu give us insights into the lifestyle and social history of the region. Tamiraparani, Chittaru and Kodandarama Nadi meet in Mukkoodal (Seevalaperi). The story centres round a man who works in the fields of a pannaikkaran (landowner) of Mukkoodal. The hero is a Vaishnavite, and the invocatory verses are in praise of Vishnu, Garuda, Senai Muthalvan and Nammazhwar. “The hero of the work gives a list of 34 varieties of grains that he is going to sow — machu murithaan, chorikurumbai, vellai cemba, kulaivaazhai, maruvilicemba, neelacemba, villunducemba, muthucemba, kadukkan, rasavaanan, kadalivaazhai, irangal neettan, chitira kaali, vaalaan, cirai meettaan, malai mundan and so on. The names of some of the 23 varieties of bullocks listed give us an idea about their distinctive features. Pudai Komban suggests a bull with bent horns, cemmaraiyan suggests one with red patches and kudai ceviyan, a bull with large ears.
Grains were measured in terms of kottais. We learn that rice was donated to the Vishnu temple for Aadi and Panguni festivals, and also for daily puja. Rice was supplied when the Chittaru anaicut was built. It was given to Vadamalaiyappan Pillai choultry, various charities, poets and Vedic scholars and also to Peria Nambi Iyengar’s thirumaligai,” says Tamil scholar Sarala Rajagopalan.
“The glory of Tamiraparani is seen from the fact that Nammazhwar refers to himself as Porunal sangani thuraivan — sangani thurai being the main bathing ghat in Alwar Thirunagari. Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Nayanar in his Acharya Hridayam says that in Sangani Thurai, the Vedas took shape as Nammazhwar’s works. Nammazhwar Thaalaattu describes Kurugoor as sangha meenum tharala nilavum Kurugapuri — a place that abounds in fishes and conches. Sadagopa Pulavar’s Tirukkurugoor Magizhmaaran Bhavani Kuram and Sadagopa Pallu also talk of the Nammazhwar-Tamiraparani connection,” says Kidambi Narayanan.
The love that people of the region have for the river is evident in some common sayings. Ramachandran points out that in Thenthirupperai, a commonly heard observation is that the people of the village will be prosperous as along as the Tamiraparani and the lamp in the Kuzhaikkadar temple are around — koodu punal thuraiyum kuzhaikkadar kovil neruppum ulla varai.
