Indian Columbus

Chettinad, comprising the present Sivaganga district and certain areas of Pudukkottai district in Tamil Nadu, India, is the cherished homeland of the Nattukkottai Chettiars, also known as the Nagarathars, a prosperous and esteemed business community in Tamil Nadu. Within the vibrant tapestry of Chettinad, there are nine significant temples exclusively dedicated to the Nagarathars, aptly known as the Nagarathar Temples. Vairavan Temple, nestled in Vairavanpatti, stands as one of these esteemed nine temples. Situated approximately 15 kilometers from Karaikudi, locals affectionately refer to this village as Vairavan Kovil. Highlights: This is one of the nine Nagarathar temples. This is one of the most popular Bhairava temples in Tamil Nadu. God  -  Valaroli Nathar and Bhairava Goddess  -  Vadivudai Nayaki Teerth  (Holy water) - Vairavan Teerth Sthala Vruksha  (Holy tree) - Azhinji  The village was also called as Veera Pandiapuram, Vayi...

Sarugani  is a small village near  Kalaiyar Kovil  in the Tamil Nadu state of India. There is a famous Roman Catholic Church located here. The village is popular due to this church and the annual festival. Let me provide both the details and some historical background in this article. This village's beautiful church is called  "The Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary" . It was built in  1753 CE  and is the first Sacred Heart Church in the country. The whole structure of the church was built as per the  Portuguese architectural style . The current structure is renovated; however, the facade and the tower remain intact, and they are the only remaining original portions. Father James de Rossi , a priest from Italy, came to Madurai and started missionary works in 1736 CE. He was very popular, and the locals called him  "Chinna Savariar" . He once saved the life of Chinna Marudu from the British soldiers. As a token of gratitude, the village was gifte...

Kalaiyar Kovil, situated in the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, India, is a quaint town renowned for its significant Lord Shiva temple. The town derives its name from this temple and is consequently known as Kalaiyar Kovil. Notably, this temple holds the distinguished position of being the 10th among the Devara Paadal Petra Sthalams, a compilation of 276 of the most revered Lord Shiva temples in the Pandya region. Highlights: Sambandhar and Sundarar  have revered the temple in their verses in Devaram.  Arunagirinathar  has revered Murugan in this temple in his verses in Tiruppugal. There are three main shrines of Shiv Linga in this temple. But only one Shiv Linga (Kaleeswarar) has been mentioned in the Devaram verses. God  -  Kaleeswara, Somesar and Sundaresar  Goddess  - Swarnavalli, Soundara Nayaki and Meenakshi  Teerth  (Holy water) -  Gaja Pushkarini (Anai Medu) is the main Teerth; there are other Teerthas too su...

Payanam is a web series focusing on exploring lesser known places with some cultural, heritage, or historical values. Episode 1 (Muni) provides some interesting facts and observations about Muneeswaran - A powerful village deity!

It is easy to conduct heritage walks in the cities such as Chennai or Delhi. However, if one wants to conduct similar walks in a Chettinad town, I wonder if it is practically possible. Every house in this region has a story; every street has a piece of historical information; every building has some heritage value. A lot of well-known personalities belong to this region. And, of course, there are so many interesting stories/facts associated with them. The palaces and mansions of the other areas look more minor and negligible compared to the most moderate Chettinad houses. In this article, let me walk you through some important aspects of Chettinad architecture and the fascinating Chettinad town called Devakottai. Chettinad The current Sivaganga district and a few areas of Pudukkottai district in the Tamil Nadu state of India are called Chettinad, the home of Nattukkottai Chettiars.  Nattukkottai Chettiars, or Nagarathars , is a prosperous business community of Tamil Nadu. It i...