freinds, pichavaram is very much relevant to chidambaram studies in the anthropological and mythological sense. it is originally known as pithar vanam. pithar stands for the dancing cult. this burrial ground dancing has become obsolete but the aborigines with their proto-tamil language still survive here. they are classified as coastal veddoids. they are the earliest humans to arrive in this place some 60000 years ago from africa.
these indegenous people are now marginal people at the verge of extinction. they confess that nataraja belong to thei clan. even to day the bi-annaual car festival starts only after a ceremonial inauguration by a member of this clan.
the mangaroves are scientific-marine biological curiosity. there is also some tourist importance because it is back water and boating is available upto the sea. recently i took some of my american freinds there who said it was a life time experiance.
the mangaroves are called in tamil as thillai-vanam. the respiratory roots of the plants are unique. the thillai vanam and the thillai plant is later associated with chidambaram and thillai koothu is mentioned by thirumoolar too.
the tiger and snake were aboriginal objects of worship and they were merged with siva by vyagra-padhar. the patanjali and vyagrapadhar are either imaginary characters or real men with real legs came to chidambaram in 2-3 BC.
im surprised by paucity interest in the historic aspects of thes issues and the discussion leading to mundane issues!!
gandhi
pichavaram is a must see for marine biologists, tourists interested in nature and saivite researchers.
> im surprised by paucity interest in the historic aspects of thes > issues and the discussion leading to mundane issues!!
HI aborigines in pichavaram? thats news to me.i thought they were fishermen.
mangrove forests are there in a 100 places in india. the smae plants Rhizopora stylosa start growing from pondicehery onwards as well as cuddalore.
there are two rivulets that encompass the nataraja temple. one on the highway and one before annamalai nagar. i have noticed the same plants growing there a couple of decades back. i guess those and not pichavaram must have given the name thillai, for the temple was often reported to be surrounded by the thillai forests.
please do share with us the genealogical or dna proof on the antiquity of the picavaram tribes.
venketesh
> > gandhi > > pichavaram is a must see for marine biologists, tourists interested > in nature and saivite researchers. >
i was in chidambaram the day the tsunami struck. it was the ther festival chidambaram is too far inshore to be affected by the sea. the main concern of the dikshithars that day was of the ther having a damage by the earth quake and getting stuck somewhere. so they rushed the festival and took back the gods inside.