About my Native Place

26.01.2010

Although I was born in Chennai and grew up here throughout, my roots are in North-arcot district. My Grand-father moved out of Palasur a remote village about 6 kilometers from Polur near Thiruvannamalai. He came to Chennai after completing his eighth standard (this was before Independence when eighth standard was a high qualification!) He underwent teachers training and became a teacher in high school.

People from North-arcot are fiercely proud of our lineage, possibly because there is nothing for us to boast about. The land being dry and devoid of natural and perennial rivers like Cauvery or Tamaraparani, we take pride in our humble origins, integrity, honesty, hospitality and above all a rough and ready attitude that always calls a spade a spade. Although most of us or our parents or grandparents moved out to Chennai or Bangalore to find their fortunes, We are still a closely knit group and still try to to avoid marital alliances outside of families from our own district! So much so that as late as early nineties there was an active North-Arcot District Association in New Jersey, USA!

While we don’t have any link with Palasur or even North-Arcot, we still make a pilgrimage to the temple of our family deity (Kula Deivam) every year. This custom which had declined for some time was revived by my wife (incidentally a lady from Palghat, Kerala.) This is because Palghat Brahmins are assiduous about visiting their family Kaavu or shrine every year. My wife’s family Kaavu is the Meen Kulathi Amman Kaavu in Pallasena, in Kerala. As a sincere Hindu daughter-in-law my wife is extremely careful to ensure that the traditions of her In-law’s house are never let down.

So, every 26^th January being Republic Day which is a public Holiday and incidentally my Birthday we travel to Pudur in Chengam Thaluk, Thiruvannamalai district. (NA is now split into Vellore and Thiruvannamalai). The temple is situated on the Polur-Chengam road. In those days it was an isolated spot. A shrine situated in a neem grove. The deity, a manifestation of Goddess Durga is Maariamman an Ellai Deivaam or Border deity that protects the good and punishes the bad. The temple is run by hereditary Pujaris who are not Brahmins. The main idol is aroopam and swayambhu i.e. it has no shape or form and was not made by men but a manifestation.

The temple has clay images of Horses and Elephants outside which are offerings from devotees. In those days these were reddish brick images. To day I could see brightly colored images made of steel and concrete. Such images can be dotted all over Tamilnadu outside Maariamman and Muneeswaran temples.

We return via Thiruvannamalai passing through paddy fields and fields with sun flowers blooming in yellow splendour.