I usually levitate in my dreams. Soaring high onto the skies, I drift past the dark and grey clouds, moving up and up all the way, till I am at the same altitude and coordinates as the Chennai – Singapore 747 Air India flight. Then, averting in a nanosecond the catastrophe of the first man-hit flight by ducking down like the Brazilian goal keeper in FIFA 2010 football match I land with a thud on the floor 20 cm down my bed, drenched in cold sweat..
Unfortunately, none of all that exciting stuff is what my dreams are made of. I just dream about my school. As a 12 year old, I run clutching an ever leaking fountain pen and a canvass school bag hung heavy over my shoulder. Then, as of on cue, I start levitating a few meters above ground level with the fond hope I can float like feather and reach the school before the school peon Konar rang the bell. The school bell has already rung clear and loud. I am late for the class, flying or floating notwithstanding.
Have you done the home work?
‘Balakrishnan Sir’ enquires with an impish smile that is ever present on his lips. Ours is a school of smiling teachers – even the mathematics masters never frown. However, my history teacher, Mr.Balakrishnan though smiling and friendly means real business.
I tried all the time tested tricks of the trade like the dog had eaten my exercise book (we do not entertain any pets at home, though) and last night, there was a tornado in our Rettai Theru and most of the household articles including my notebook were sucked into the condensation funnel of the rotating air column. It was of no use. ‘Balakrishnan sir’ would not relent.
‘Finish it right now’ – he tries to look stern but his smile dilutes it and we both end up in a belly laugh together when the mobile phone rings.
Wait, when did I complete my schooling? 1969 March, to be precise. That is 41 years to date. In 1969 we did not even have the luxury of an ordinary land phone either at school or at home in Sivaganga. Mobile phone, GSM, Code Division Multiple Access, 2G and 3G were not terms on anyone’s lips then. But dreams do not require any logic.
Half awake, I search for the mobile at my bed side and murmur a hello into it. Yes, it is our Balakrishnan sir, not in my dream but for real. The teacher gives the wake up call to the student in his early 50s now, with the same gusto he did 40 years ago.
He is enquiring about an assignment he gave me – to write a foreword to his much awaited book on the history of our beloved home town Sivaganga, ‘A Struggle For Freedom In The Red Soil Of South’.
Teachers are always teachers and students are, well, students.
‘I shall sure complete and forward today sir’, I can not blame the dog for devouring my home work. I nowadays use my lap top for all my writing.
‘Better do it today and take up any other writing assignment, be it your next novel, movie script or newspaper column, well after completing that. Am I making myself clear?’
He tries to sound serious but I can detect the glint in his eyes even though we are not using 3G video conferencing on the mobile. We both break into a hearty belly laugh together again, after nearly 43 years.
So, here is the foreword. I’ve completed my assignment sir.
In all fairness, let me say, I do not know anything – except my corporate banking, cloud computing, payment engine architecture, project management and post modernist fiction. Though I am a proud son of the red soil that is Sivaganga and have written a bio-fiction book ’40, Rettai Theru’ based on my pre-teens life there during 1960s, when it comes to Sivaganga, my knowledge database returns only empty rows. ‘Data not found’.
I am not one who digs for macro-history of kings and queens, narrated in an authoritative, linear fashion. As an author, I empathize with the common man, the ones at the fringes of the society who create history for which the mighty take credit and walk away into limelight.
To my pleasant surprise, I find my learned teacher also is interested immensely in micro and subaltern history as being evidenced in this interesting book, page after page.
I had walked and levitated past Sivaganga Teppakkulam at least 20,012 times as a boy of ten then and in my surrealistic dreams now. But all along, I was absolutely clueless about the origin of the tank, about the hermit Saththappa and his mentoring of Sasivarna Thevar, the father of Sivaganga. This book enlightens me about all that and much more.
And what about Gowri Vinayakar temple near Theppakkulam? Do you know who built and consecrated it? My teacher educates me as always, with this piece of interesting information –
(Near) the Teppakkulam at Sivagangai, there is one Hanuman temple on the northern side of the tank and there is another Ganesh temple (Gowri Vinayakar) temple on the western side. It is said that it was built by Pazhayanoor Karuppayee, the maid-in- waiting of Rani Velu Nachiar, the third ruler of Sivagangai kingdom.
We have forgotten the great Velu Nachchi, the first woman freedom fighter of India, long before the advent of the popular Rani of Jansi, for the simple reason she is not from the Hindi heartland. If that is what we do to the valiant Velu Nachiyar, who will remember the poor and humble maid Pazhayanoor Karuppayee? Lord Gowri Vinayagar, perhaps!
Sivaganga is always Sivaganga for me or ‘Sivenga’ as we Sivagangaiyans pronounce with all pride of being sons of the red soil.
‘True; however, Sivaganga was rechristened temporarily’, informs Mr.Balakrishnan.
In 1775 Mohammad Ali, the Nabob of Carnatic changed the name of Sivagangai as “Hussain Nagar”. But as a result of stiff resistance from the people of Sivagangai by protesting before this palace, the change of name was dropped.
My teacher in the course of his absorbing discourse about the origin and history of Sivaganga mentions about Sri Rajarajeswari temple within the precincts of the palace.
Papanasam Sivan, the great composer of Tamil songs composed songs in praise of this deity. For example “ sivaganga nagara nivasini” is one such song composed by him.
Yes, I do remember hearing that song in the melodious voice of late D.K.Pattammal as a HMV record. Then our radiogram went into disuse and DKP’s voice on the ‘plate’ cracked at the scratches where the needle ploughed deep while the disc was spinning at 78 rotations per minute time and again, especially during Navarathri season every year.
I searched YouTube on the net where from Gogar Jaan to Chembai Vaidyanatha Bagavathar to Michael Jackson you can get anyone crooning anything near musical, but could not locate Sivaganga Nagara Nivasini. Nonetheless, thank you Balakrishnan sir, for reminding me of that great song. Was it set to Raga Punnagavarali?
Mr.Balakrishnan takes me on a conducted tour of the Sivaganga palace. I had been at the palace grounds as a boy long back and the crumbling edifice had all the appearance of a deserted dilapidated old building with only the temple coming to life for 10 days an year, during Navarathri.
Mr.Balakrishnan mentions –
The Gowri Vilasam is a building of later period. It was built by Padamathur Gowry Vallabha Thevar (1801-1829). The facade of the palace is fascinating. It has been built in architectural designs of Tirumalai Nayak’s time. We find traces of Rajaputana arts. There is a royal swimming pool on the northern side of the temple used exclusively by palace queens .. There is a duct from the Teppakulam leading into this swimming pool for filling it with water. This tank built of rocky stones has facilities for playing various games like hide and seek games in water.
The zenana or the harem part of this palace is said to have contained many secret passages. There is a narrow subterranean passage below the balcony. Only one man can walk along this narrow passage. When Khan Sahib invaded Sivaganga in 1763, this secret way served the purpose.
He then walks us through the streets of 18th century Sivaganga I am not quite aware of.
A Brahmin quarter was situated at Sivagangai city. Many Inscriptions call this city as “ CHATURVETHI MANGALAMANA SIVAGANGAI.
Could it be the long stretch winding through Sivan Koil Street, Sathyamoorthy Street (our own Rettai Theru) and Perumal Koil Stree,t this Chaturvedhi Mangalam sector of the town?
What about this?
The Assistant Collector reports Colonel Miller has marched to Rasimangalam to execute the offenders. He states that Jaganatha Ayyan is to receive 1000 lashes, his property to be confiscated and he has to be kept under confinement until he is transported beyond the sea. He recommends corporal punishment for all the rest.
Did that freedom fighter of the 1800s, Jaganatha Ayyan who fought as a companion of Marudhu brothers walked along the same Rettai Theru I walked and was he my great-great grand father’s third cousin or bosom pal?
How come I missed observing all this content-rich micro, social history surrounding me all the time till Mr.Balakrishnan leads me towards it?
More so, how ignorant was I all these years about Mr.Balakrishnan. I knew him only as a caring and affectionate teacher. The great people’s historian in him was not visible to my limited intelligence till now. This book has changed all that blinkered perspective, ushering in a twist in the tale, albeit with a happy ending.
Yesterday I was inching through the evening traffic snarl in Chennai Anna Salai and the car slowed down to a near halt near P Orr and Sons. All of a sudden, the reputed watch repairer and seller seemed more familiar to me. I have had read Mr.Balakrishnan mentioning in his book –
There were many occasions when Sivagangai Zamin was pledged for debt. Periasami alias Woodayana Thevar (1883-1898) leased the Sivaganga Zamin to three Europeons R.G. Orr, Ryan and Stranack on 23.05.1887.These Europeons built new bungalows in Sivagangai town now called New Palace.
R.G.Orr could well be the one of the founders of the business partnership P Orr and Sons. The Chennai historians like S.Muthiah and V.Sriram (who write regular columns in the Hindu) may confirm or deny it. Nonetheless, I am comfortable with our beloved historian of Sivaganga, Mr.Balakrishnan for throwing light on this vital historical piece of information.
I wish I wrote this book. Now that my teacher has written it, I am expecting the next assignment from him – to translate this into its racy Tamil version. I am keeping my mobile never switched off and shall not levitate in my dreams over Sivaganga Teppakkulam. This student shall be awaiting a call from the teacher now on.
‘Sivaganga town was formed in 22.01.1730 (Tamil year Sowmiya – Thai 13).’ –
Thanks Balakrishnan Sir. I shall complete the assignment well before the next anniversary of the formation of Sivaganga, Inshah Allah!
Era.Murukan
27th June 2010