Tales of the lanes

Hidden among the city's congested neighbourhoods are stretches with peculiar names

It happens sometimes that an ordinary thing suddenly seems intriguing. It might have been right in front of you for years together, and then you encounter it in a different context and feel there is something unique about it.

Karivepilaikara Theru has gone by this name for almost a century and most Maduraiites probably walk through it every third day, but the name suddenly sounded peculiar one fine morning when a post card from Karivepilaikara Theru arrived at our doorstep.

Surely it's unusual to name a place after curry leaves. To get there, you take a left from the Vakil New Street to Chellathamman Temple, then a right into a small lane and again right into North Masi Street towards the Krishna Temple. Behind that is the lane. And by that time, you can't help feeling you're on a real hunt.

Madurai is a maze of centuries-old lanes and by-lanes. But even long-time residents of these lanes are not able to decipher the origin of the street names. They offer only stories, myths, speculations and suggestions. R. Renganathan of Karivepilaikara Street says, “I have heard my grandfather say that once during the king's rule, when Madurai was filled with Kadamba trees, this part of the town was full of karivepilai trees.” Though his explanation was logical and convincing, that there is not a single karivepilai tree in the lane today. Almost every lane and street has a similar tale behind it.

Although Madurai has always been a very small town, it was often referred to as ‘Maanagaram' (city), since it was and still is a vibrant trading centre. Showing us a 1925 map of the city, retired Tamil teacher and researcher D. Devaraj says, “Though the core city of Madurai was very small, history says that it was self-contained and thriving.”

For example, Meenkara Sandhu (“fisherman's lane”) stands testimony to the fish trade that once flourished in the city. Sellers from Tuticorin, Rameswaram and other coastal towns probably brought their fish to this market.

Probing the origin of the street names is not an easy task. “I felt the necessity to do it as there were misconceptions and misinformation about the history of the streets,” says Mr. Devaraj. “Also, lack of proper documented history on street names made my job even tougher. I had to gather information from the references found in the memoirs of American missionaries who were in the city and from the Islamia Kalai Kalanjiam.”

Mr. Devaraj has collected information for about 120 streets and has authored a book, A Study on Street Names of Madurai City. He feels there is plenty to explore.

There appears to be a pattern in the way streets were named. They can be broadly classified into streets named after historical figures and events, occupations, and myths and legends.

“Though there were social divisions, there was order and peaceful co-existence,” says V. Balasubramanian, an architect who has done a project on the core city of Madurai. “The classification exists even today as one could see North Masi Street occupied by those involved in dairy business and South Masi Street thickly populated with those involved in jewellery and textile businesses,” he adds.

Mr. Devaraj points out that there was also a diverse population here, as we can see from, for example, Khansamaettu Theru, which should have been Khan Saheb Maettu Theru, and Rendall Street, named after an American missionary.

Interestingly, no street is named after the Pandia rulers. It may simply appear that people named streets as they wished and after sellers of flowers (Pookara Theru), rice (Arisikara Theru, Pacharisikara theru), spinach (Keerakara Theru), bangles (Valayalkara Theru), betel leaves (Vetrilaikadai Sandhu), limestone (Sunnambukara Theru) and so on. But historians and researchers feel that such names highlight the social history of the city and the old princely state of Madurai.

For those who would like to dig deep into the etymology of the street names in the city, there is plenty to discover.

(To be continued)

HISTORICAL FIGURES AND EVENTS:

Pandian Agazh Theru

Marret Streets

Thalavai Agraharam

Khan Saheb Maettu Theru

Khajimar Theru

LEGENDS AND MYTHS:

Ezhukadal Theru

Puttuthoppe

Valayalkara Theru

Annakuzhi Mandapam Lane

Velliambalam Street

TRADES AND OCCUPATIONS:

Kollampattarai Theru

Chithirakara Theru

Meenkara Lane

Ezhuthanikkara Theru

Sunnambukkara Street

Sayakara Theru

Noolkara Theru

Uppukara Theru

Source - The Hindu Metroplus