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The Paliyars and Shiva Temples of the Caturagiri Hills, Virudunagar District, Tamil Nadu, South India and the Caturagiri Vazhinadaiccindu


Affiliations
1 Department of Maritime History and Marine Archaeology, Tamil University, Thanjavur – 613010, Tamil Nadu, India
 

Caturagiri is a mountain located about 58 km to the southwest of Madurai in southern part of Tamil Nadu, South India. The mountain valley, with a reserved forest cover, has two shrines dedicated to Shiva, natural shelters with rock paintings, and caves and shelters considered to be the abodes of the Siddhas. Thousands of people from Tamil Nadu visit the Shiva temples of Sundaramahalingam and Sandanamahalingam located on the Caturagiri mountain on the new moon days, and it has become a popular pilgrimage and tourist destination. This area is inhabited by the Paliyars who used to primarily subsist through hunting-gathering till the 20th century. This paper discusses about the Paliyars of this region, history of the Caturagiri temple, the Saptur Zamindari, which patronized the Caturagiri temples, and the Caturagiri Vazhinadaiccindu, which is found in the British Library. It argues that the Siddha medicine system perhaps had the contribution of the hill people of Tamil Nadu, including the Paliyars, who do preserve and practice the traditional medicinal system.

Keywords

Caturagiri, Cindu, Palayakkarars, Paliyans, Paliyars, Poligars, Saptur Zamindari, Siddhas, Siddha Medicine, Vazhinadaiccindu.
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  • Catalogue number, P. Tam. C 2702. I would like to thank the British Library for the support, and the Nehru Trust for the Indian Collections at Victoria and Albert Museum for the UK visiting Fellowship, which helped in writing this paper. I would like to thank Dr. Sundar Kali for the comments on the draft of the paper, and Dr S. Darsana and Dr. P. Karthika for the support and comments.

  • There is another Vazhinadaiccindu on the Caturagiri temple, published from Madras in 1905 and available at Roja Muthiah Library, Chennai, which is not discussed here.

  • Selvakumar V. Archaeological Investigations in the Upper Gundar Basin, Madurai.

  • Gardner P. Op. cit. 2006.

  • Dakshinamurthy V. Paliyans Forests and Futures: An Ethnobotanical Investigation. PhD Dissertation, Gandhigram Rural Institute. 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10603/110693.

  • Dahmen Rev F. The Paliyans, A hill-tribe of the Palni Hills (South India). Anthropos. 1908; 3:19-31; Census of India 1961: Paliyans. Census of India. 1961. Ethnographic Notes on Scheduled Tribes. 1964; IX(Part.V-B-(i)):195–248; Gardner, Peter M. Symmetric Respect and Memorate Knowledge: The Structure and Ecology of Individualistic Culture, Southwestern Journal of Anthropology. 1966; 22:389–415; Gardner, Peter M, Paliyan Social Structure, Contributions to Anthropology: Band Societies. Proceedings of the Conference on Band Organization, Ottawa, 1965 August 30 to September 2; (David Damas ed.), Ottawa, The National Museums of Canada. 1969; p. 153–71; Gardner, Peter M. The Paliyans, Hunters and Gatherers Today: A Socioeconomic Study of Eleven Such Cultures in the Twentieth Century, M.G. Bicchieri ed., New York, Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 1972; p. 404-47; Gardner, Peter M. Bicultural Oscillation as a Long-Term Adaptation to Cultural Frontiers: Cases and Questions. Human Ecology. 1985; 13:411– 32; Gardner, Peter M. Pragmatic Meanings of Possession in Paliyan Shamanism. Anthropos. 1991; 86:367–84; Gardner, Peter M. Forager’s Pursuit of Individual Autonomy. Current Anthropology. 1991; 32(5):543-72; Gardner, Peter M. Respect and Nonviolence among Recently Sedentary Paliyan Foragers. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute. 2000 June; 6:215–36; Gardner, Peter M. Bicultural Versatility as a Frontier Adaptation among Paliyan Foragers of South India, New York, The Edwin Mellen Press. 2000; Gardner, Peter M. Respect for All: The Paliyans of South India, Keeping the Peace: Conflict Resolution and Peaceful Societies Around the World, Graham Kemp and Douglas P. Fry eds., New York: Routledge. 2004; p. 53–71; Gardner, Peter M. Journeys to the Edge in the Footsteps of an Anthropologist, Missouri, University of Missouri Press. 2006; Tamilarasi Murugesan P and A Ananthalakshmi. Dietary Practices of the Paliyar Tribal Group and the Nutrient Content of Unconventional Foods Consumed. The Indian Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics. 1991; 28(12):297-301; Keystone Honey Hunters & Beekeepers Survey Tamil Nadu - A survey document, Keystone, Pondicherry. 1994; and also see, Paper presented by the authors at the Apimondia Congress in Antwerp 1997 September; Bees for Development Journal. 45; Norstrom C. The Paliyans of Palni hills, Tamil Nadu, in A Handbook of the Anglade Institute of Natural History. Shembaganur KM. Matthew ed., Tiruchirapalli, The Rapinat Herbarium, 1994; Norstom C. Autonomy by default versus popular participation: the Paliyans of South India and the proposed Palni Hills Sanctuary, Identity and Gender in Hunting and Gathering Societies. Ian Keen and Jakako Yamada eds., Osaka, Japan: National Museum of Ethnology. 2001; p. 27-50; Norstrom C. They Call For Us Strategies for Securing Autonomy Among the Paliyans, Hunter-Gatherers of the Palni Hills, South India, Stockholm, Almqvist and Wiksell International. 2003; Nath Snehlata, Mathew John and Pratim Roy. The honey hunters of Tamil Nadu: Climbing through a period of change. 1995; FTP Newsletter 25. http://www-trees.slu.se/newsl/29/29nath.htm. Selvakumar V. Investigations into the Prehistoric and Protohistoric Cultures of the Upper Gundar Basin. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Poona, University of Poona. 1996; Norman TSJ and V. Dakshinamurthy. A case Study of Paliyar Tribe of Sirumalai Hills. Gandhigram, The Center for Future Studies, Gandhigram Rural Institute, Deemed University. 2007.

  • Kevan Bundell. Rock Shelter Paintings – Sirumalai (Little Hills), Dindigul Dt, Tamilnadu, India. http://kevanbundell.co.uk/blog/category/rock-shelter-paintings-sirumalai/.

  • Winfred Thomas D, Oliver King EDI, Soundrapandi J and Narasimhan D. Evolution of Livelihood Strategies among Geographically Isolated Hill Tribes of South India, Interdisciplinary conference at the centre for Indian studies, Mysore, India. 2003; Ganesan, S, Suresh N and Kesaven L. Ethnomedicinal survey of lower Palni Hills of Tamil Nadu. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. 2004; 3:299–304; Azhakar, Viruthunagar Mavattapp Pazhiyarkalin Vazhviyal, Rajapalayam, Vennila Pathippakam. 2005. Ignacimuthu S, Ayyanar M and SankaraSivaraman K. Ethnobotanical Investigations among Tribes in Madurai District of Tamil Nadu (India). Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 2006; 2:25. Aavilable from: https://ethnobiomed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1746-4269-2-25. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-2-25 PMid:16689985PMCid:PMC1475842.

  • Little Layne. An Introduction to the Tamil Siddhas: Tantra, Alchemy, Poetics And Heresy Within The Context of Wider Tamil Shaiva World. Indian Folklife. 2003 April-June; 2 (Serial No. 13 Issue 4):19.

  • Kone G. 1940. Sathuragiri Thalapuranam Madurai, Pudumandapam Book House, as cited in Winfred Thomas et al. 2003; See note 2.

  • Francis W. Madura District Gazetteer, Madras, Government Press. 1906; p. 7.

  • Ibid. p. 7.

  • Rajendran P and Vedachalam V. Santhaiyur Seppedu -1, Tamizhakac Seppedukal, Sridhar ed., Chennai, Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamilnadu. 2005; p. 53–9; Rajendran P and Vedachalam V. Santhaiyur Seppedu -2, Tamizhakac Seppedukal, Sridhar ed., Chennai, Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamilnadu. 2005; p. 60-3.

  • Selvakumar V, Gandhirajan KT and Kannan S. Recent Archaeological Discoveries in The Usilampatti Area. Proceedings of Tamil Nadu Historical Congress, Vth Session, Thirunelveli. 1998; p. 93-6; Selvakumar V, Gandhirajan M and Kannan S. Usilampatti Paguthiyil Tholliyal Kandupidippugal. Avanam. 1999; 10:105–9; Selvakumar V. A Study of The Rock Art in The Upper Gundar Basin, Madurai District, Tamil Nadu, Exploring the Mind of Ancient Man: Festschrift to Robert G. Bednarik, P. Chenna Reddy ed., New Delhi. 2007; p. 380-8.

  • Gardner P. 2004; Op cit. p. 67; Gardner P. 2006; Op cit.p. 60–1.

  • Thurston E and Rangachari. Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Madras: Government Press. 1909; 5.

  • Rajayyan K. South Indian rebellion: the first war of independence, 1800-1801, Mysore, Rao and Raghavan. 1971; p. 41, 77; Rajayyan K. Rise and fall of the poligars of Tamilnadu, Madras, University of Madras. 1974.

  • Rajayyan. 1971; p. 77; Udhayasankar I. The British diplomacy in Tirunelveli. PhD Dissertation, Bharathidasan University, Department of History. 1751–1803.

  • Rajayyan. 1971; p. 77.

  • Francis. Ibid. p. 329. Rajayyan. 1971; p. 41.

  • Ibid. p. 329.

  • Thurston E and Rangachari. Op cit. 1909; p. 190–191.

  • Vadivelu A. The Late M.R. RY Sri Nagayyaswami Kammayya Nayakkar Avarkal II Zamindar of Saptur, The Aristocracy of Southern India, Delhi, Mittal Publications 1906. 1984; 2:315– 21.

  • Madras Law Report XVII. 1894.

  • Selvakumar V. PhD. Dissertation. Op. Cit. Table 76.

  • Illustrated Guide to the South Indian Railway, Higginbotham and Co., Madras. 1900; p. 275.

  • Tirumurukan. Cintuppaatalkalin Yaappilakkanam. Madurai, Pavalar Pannai. 1993.

  • Venkatachalapathy AR. Anthakkaalatthil KaappiIllai, Chennai, Kalachuvadu. 2000; p. 130.

  • Ibid. p. 130.

  • Dipi Shadpak Dev JS. A Study on the Literary and Musical Excellences in the Compositions of Ramanathapuram Srinivasa Ayyangar. Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Music, Kerala University. 2010; p. 76–7. http://hdl.handle.net/10603/168454.

  • There are many Kavadiccindu songs on the temples of Tamil Nadu and there is one on the Velappar temple of Mavuttu near Andipatti in Teni district of southern Tamil Nadu, and it was published by Sundar Kali and Parimalam. This temple is associated with a Paliyan population.

  • Sheeran Anne. Sri Lanka, The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. The Middle East South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Ellen Koskof, ed., New York, Routledge. 2008; 2:1069–74.

  • Selvakumar V. PhD. Dissertation, ibid. 1996; p. 171–205.

  • Evidence of wild buffalo bones has been excavated from the site of S. Pappinayakkanpatti, PhD Dissertation, Op. cit. 1996; Table 76.

  • Selvakumar V. How the Paliyans of Madurai were banished to the hills. Humanscape. 1999; 6(11):30–1.

  • Walimbe SR and Selvakumar V. Anthropological Investigations on An Iron Age Adult Male Skeleton from S. Pappinayakkanpatti, Madurai District, Tamil Nadu. Journal of Human Ecology. 1998; 9(Issue 1):19–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/09709274.1998.11907329.


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  • The Paliyars and Shiva Temples of the Caturagiri Hills, Virudunagar District, Tamil Nadu, South India and the Caturagiri Vazhinadaiccindu

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Authors

V. Selvakumar
Department of Maritime History and Marine Archaeology, Tamil University, Thanjavur – 613010, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract


Caturagiri is a mountain located about 58 km to the southwest of Madurai in southern part of Tamil Nadu, South India. The mountain valley, with a reserved forest cover, has two shrines dedicated to Shiva, natural shelters with rock paintings, and caves and shelters considered to be the abodes of the Siddhas. Thousands of people from Tamil Nadu visit the Shiva temples of Sundaramahalingam and Sandanamahalingam located on the Caturagiri mountain on the new moon days, and it has become a popular pilgrimage and tourist destination. This area is inhabited by the Paliyars who used to primarily subsist through hunting-gathering till the 20th century. This paper discusses about the Paliyars of this region, history of the Caturagiri temple, the Saptur Zamindari, which patronized the Caturagiri temples, and the Caturagiri Vazhinadaiccindu, which is found in the British Library. It argues that the Siddha medicine system perhaps had the contribution of the hill people of Tamil Nadu, including the Paliyars, who do preserve and practice the traditional medicinal system.

Keywords


Caturagiri, Cindu, Palayakkarars, Paliyans, Paliyars, Poligars, Saptur Zamindari, Siddhas, Siddha Medicine, Vazhinadaiccindu.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.15613/hijrh%2F2018%2Fv5i2%2F181531