Kallidaikurichi, where I hail from , is a small town (Latitude: 8.7 N, Longitude: 77.47 E, Altitude: MSL+75Mtrs/249Ft). I will take you through a tour of the place its present and distant past – historical and cultural aspects, taking this place, Kallidaikurichi as pivotal. Like any Indian rural town, this town too is deep steeped in tradition and has a rich culture / glory & heritage. It is located on the right bank of river Tamiraparni, in Tirunelveli District of Tamilnadu, a southern state of India, struggling to hold on to its past glories. Local tongue is Tamil. Here the modern co-exist peacefully with the bullock-carts .
This rural town in the south Tamilnadu is located about 90 kms north of Kanyakumari (Cape Comerin). Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai are two towns (twin towns) nearby, about 48 kms away. Indian Railways touch Kallidaikurichi. Throu Tirunelveli to Kollam route This place is easily reachable by road from Tirunelveli and Nagarcoil. Nearby Airports are Madurai in Tamilnadu – about 250 kms away and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) in Kerala – about 150 kms away.
Paddy is the main crop here. Other crops are groundnut (peanuts), chilies (red pepper) and cotton, though these are seen less frequently now-a-days. Appalam industry has been growing steadily over past 100 years making it Appalam Capital of India
Like most parts of Tamilnadu, the climate here too is rather hot, except during the rainy season of November/December months. During summer strong gusty winds are a frequent occurrence. Utilizing this energy is the large wind energy farm at Arulwaimozhui, about 40 Kms from here, with over 2500 of windmills generating electricity. Kallidaikurichi, endowed with a rich heritage, is dotted with many ancient Hindu Shrines. These are of ancient temple architecture style having high-rise Gopurams (ornamental gateways of temples) with intricate sculptures, heralding the past glory of this region.
Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar, the Great carnatic composer, whose songs abound with geographic and iconographic references, sings of the curative properties of the river Tamiraparani. To him, The Goddess at Tirunelveli, is Hima-saila-sutaa (daughter of the mountain Hima), and also suddha Tamraparni tata sthitaa while Vishnu in Kallidaikurichi, is bhangahara Tamraparni tirastha.
This place, predominantly a Brahmin stronghold of the past, was a place of learning and Music. Many scholars and musicians were born here. However, vast changes in the social structure has taken its toll. One of the educational institutions here is established about 160 years back as George English School, renamed Thilakar Vidyalaya after independence of India.
Now Let us begin the journey of Heritage of which Kallidai is deep rooted in.