Kallidaikurichi
- Small town totally out of the crowd, pollution, excessive cars and more importantly IT companies 
- Place where everyone in the street knows each other very well personallly to an extent, where they can walk in to the house anytime to speak with you.
- Narrow gap between houses on both sides is being “Vasal telichu and kolam pottu” in a uniform way.
- People sitting and chatting in the Veetu THINNAI.
- Small temple, amidst a small lake on side and “Vayal” on the other side
- BREEZE of the trees in the middle of vayakadu which you feel would even blow you off
- Milk in the house comes from the Cowin the kollapuram
- A door in the house which actually connects you to the house that is next to you. (In olden days, these doors would connect from the first house all through the last house)
- A function in your house, is being celebrated happily, joyfully as if it is their house function by your neighbours
- Mangais for the manga urugai comes from own mango grove
- Putting a thalani in the hall and lyling down, the breeze making you sleep even in the summer noon
- When you are given a cup of Tea / Coffee, you are expected to “Thooki kudi” (drink with the tumbler not touching your lips)
- When you enter a house as a guest, everyone in the house come to welcome you in.
- When the guest are there, spend time talking with them rather than seeing TV
Is it not going through this list amazing…….
When I type this post, I am able to experience them again!!!!
Me and Madhu experienced all of this within a day in Kallidaikurichi (my native place) near Tirunelveli.
Ithu mathiri ethavathu oru oorukku porathey sugam thaan. Nothing can beat the peace n relaxation u get there
Hi, Iam from kandappapuram st Kallidai, i would like to know if u have any info regrding kallidaikurichi, can u send me
We realise this heaven only after leaving Tamil Nadu.
anbudan aruna
Hi, I am Balaji s/o Late GAnesan Iyer,
I am working for vijayabank as Manager, and I am
basically from vaithiappapuram street. I can’t forget Kallidaikurichi in my life because my wife is also from the same place Isannidhi Street Kallidai)
her name is vishalakshi
regards
Hai Balaji
I am kanna(keena sir athu) from kandappapuram st now in chandigarh.Vishalakshi was my Diffusion colligue Hope you can recogonise me.Nan, Hari ellarum vaithiappapuram streetla onga athla thinnaila carram board cards vilayadina days really superb.Those are unforgettable days.Convey my regards to visalam and hari
Hai Kanna, I had no time to open the mail. Sorry for the delay. I am at present in Guwahati (along). Visalam and my daughter (Harini) are in Bangalore with my mother. last May I went to Kallidai Kurichi and met some of our friends. mymobile number is 09864755044
lovely place.. wish to spend my life there.. lets see atleast i will spend my retired life there..
Hai,
This is Seetharaman from Subramanipuram Street. I spent my school/college days there. Now working abroad, family settled in Chennai. I am nearing my retirement and have plan plan to settle there, beautiful place to live in for a peaceful, retired life.
This kind of villages are fading away, nowadays.
Our in-laws belong to Vedaranyam District. Our family deity is Thillaivilagam Sri Kothandaramar. It is a unique place where Lord Rama and Natarajar bless us in one compound.
A visit to this small village, Thillaivilagam revealed how peaceful life is. The temple is surrounded by a reasonably big pond (kovil kulam) where lot of lily/lotus blossom. The tiled houses in agraharam have olden type with long thinnai, mappilai thindu etc. Inside Rezhi, camera ullu, perumal ullu, rooms for storage, camera ullu etc…. The kollaipuram had long passage where people grow all kinds of herbal, floral trees/plants for their day to day requirement, starting from tomato, pachai milagai, elumichai, manga, narthanga, veppa maram, maruthani, kadarangai, kathiri, vendai etc. Every house in agraharam had cows, nice vasal thelithu, kolam pottu events in early mornings. Basically village is agraraian in nature.
Of course, urbanisation has impact in cable tv, TV serials screaming in hot afternoons, very few people prepared to do agri.
I wonder and pray we should get back to agriculture, as future days are going to be horrible, in rising prices, demand for good rice produce. Once our mission comes to a level in materialistic world, we should go back to our roots and spend time peacefully with our natives, with a social commitment by way of agri, teaching village poor students, preserving environment etc. May God bless us.
I hail from Ekambarapuram Street, Kallidaikurichi but now in Chennai. Due to my and wife’s job / kids education, I am not even in a position to go there every year. Last stay there was 3 years back. I finished my graduation in 1990 and was regular visitor there. But in the last few years, not able to visit. We enjoyed our games in land / Kannadiyan Canal / cricket. My wife is from Ramachandrapuram Street.
hai i am bhuvana from mealamada st.
it is lovely place. i am missing a lot. i dont have words to say. that atthangarai,pearumal kovil, sivan kovil vaikal,
purattasi sani kizhami.
that golden days are never come back.
SORGAME ENDRALUM NAMMA (KALLIDAIKURICHI) OORA POLAAHUMAA? ILAYARAJA SONNATHU GNAPAGAM VARATHU
SWAMINATHAN
Kallidai is God’s place and a heaven on earth, very sad to go back after every function, i was born and bought up in chennai and coming 2 Kallidai for major functions.
hai!its manikandan from melamada street behind perumal kovil.now iam
in moscow.i miss my kallidai a lot.now iam happy to see this comments from my people about my birth place.i miss you kallidai!!!!!!!!
hai, i am from Veravanallur. My mama family from Kallidaikurichi. So many times I have visited Kallidai.Mama SRI D.Guruswamy Sastrigal(93) SRINGERI Asthana Vidwan.He passed away last Feb-2008.Mama was a versatile personality. He was a very fine sanskrit scholar and student of sanskrit college on the banks of Tambraparani at Kallidai. My mother , Meenakshi (85) spent her most of her childhood times at Kallidai.(Veerappapuram street)She resides with me now at Chennai.My mother sings well.She learnt music from Sri Sankaranaraya Bagawathar student of Sri Muthiah Bagavathar.My another Mama Sri Ramanatha Dikshithar( rama vadhyar) presently at Kumbakoanm(90 now).
Hello,
Nice to see your writings about Late Shri Guruswamy Sasthrigal. His grandson Shri D.Krishnaswamy, now Dy Mgr in SBI, Chennai (son of Shri Dhakshinamurthy Sir of Tilak Vidyalaya) is my co-brother. We also lived in Kallidai, Mudaliappa puram Street. I just love Kallidai and my in-laws are there in Sri Varahapuram Street. So I visit them often. I am now located in Trivandrum. ………..R.Rajamani
Hello
My Name is B. Sriram. Born and brought up in Kallidai till my college days. My mother was headmistress of Saraswathy school during 80s and 90s. We first lived in Melapaatanayinaar puram street and then Sannadhi Street. I miss Kallidai a lot. My wife Gomathi is also from Kallidai. I hope to be able to visit Kallidaikurichi soon.
Hai sriram
Nice to see u here and i am kanna (autoor) presently in chandigarh.I was very happy the moment i saw ur name.Convey my namaskarams to ur mum and dad.How is sridhar and Jaisree.
When are u comming to india.Pl be in touch i dont know how to get ur contact thro this.Eagerly expecting ur reply.
Hai BS, This is Balaji (Hari’s Brother) presently working in Vijaya Bank, Regional Office, Guwahati. Till last year I was in Bangalore where I met Undai who is working in Canara Bank. Do you remember Big Undai (Unakkum Anna Irukkan, Avanakkum Anna Irukkan)
My mobile no is 09864755044 and mail id is gbalajig2009@
keep in touch
Hi
We as a group of 15, are planning to tour in and around Ambasamudram. I heard that there’s a good place to stay in Kallidaikurichi rather than Ambai. Can any one give me the details so that we can arrange for our stay?
Regards
Vaidy
Hello
You can choose either Hotel Bhaskar at Kallidai (where many TV and Cine artistes stayed for their shoots – Movies Saami, Seval, etc., and TV Serial Annamalai to quote a few) or at the Sadavudayar Guest House in Srivarahapuram Street. If you want more comforts, you can also stay in Tirunelveli about 30 kms from Kallidai, where there are good hotels like Aryas, Barani, Sakunthala Intl.
i hav no words 2 say how i am feeling….my kallidai…my home town happy 2 c ur blog.thankx
Cheers
I am pass out of Tilak Vidyalaya in the year 1968 and secured 76% in aggregate and 95% in maths. I belong to Viswanatha Puram Street and had my initial schooling in Ekambarapuram Elementary School. Whenever I go to Kallidai, I visit the school with my children to show them the class rooms where I studied, the canal and the roof top from where I dived. It is a lovely place. But a point of sorrow is that the water of Tamiraparani is becoming unfit for bathing, as the pollution is rearing its head.
hai every body
feel very proud hailing from kallidaikurichi. Such a execellent place where i with my friends in school days enjoyed a lot at athangarai, pothai cricket ground and other places.
My friends are, Moorthy (Seetharam appalam), AKS, Somu (auto), A sankar, white kumar, soon, athi, balaji(vijaya bank), hari, B.Sriram, left sekar, nool(sundar), S.Sriram, and so many, i cant sto counting..
i finished my schooling and college in kallidai and ambai.
Got married in May 1998. My wife’s name is Akila (proud hailing from kallidai too) and blessed with two kids.
Still my father (Dakshinamoorthy sir, retired AHM from tilak vidyalaya school) still stays there. My father in law, Dr. K.Sankaran, retd medical officer too stays in kallidai.
So, i will be visiting kallidai atleast once in a year or so..
last, but not the least, i am the grand son of, Brahmashri Guruswami Sastrigal, great scholar, who has studied and worked in Sanskrit college at Kallidai. He was the Asthana vidwan of Sri Sringeri Saratha Mutt for so many years.. He passed away on 12.02.08 leaving all of us… He is a LEGEND….
Dear Kannan (DSP),
Nice to see your post.. I came across this site some time ago and glad to see you’ve listed all of our old friends. Sorry to hear about grandfather. Please do contact me if you can – sorry I couldn’t contact you personally through your post, thats why I am typing it in public. We are planning to visit India and Kallidai possibly around July 2009. And needless to say, I am eagerly looking forward to it
B Sriram
Hi Kannan,
Glad to see you here. You never told me about this blog. For other users, let me say that I am your co-brother now in Trivandrum. I simply love Kallidai and that\’s why visit the place atleast once a month. Of course, our parents-in-law live there. The Sastha preethi bhojanam is a memorable one. I have visited almost all the temples and streets in Kallidai. I love shopping at the Anakkal area. Wish wishes.
Hi Kannan,
Happy to know of your family back ground.
Iam venkateswaran residing in guwahati, assam. (Rajamani nickname)
Your father shri Dakshinamurthy Sir taught us Geography when i was studying class X and XII during 1973, 74 . I remember your grand pa giving pravachanam on Srimad Ramayana in Shri Lakshmiswamy Koil. It was announced that his daughter-in-law was on family way at that time.
Your father is an interesting teacher politely explaining things. He used to refer some textile mill, if i remember correctly.
Once the present sannidhanam of Sringeri visited KIC, your grandpa was reading out a ’swagata partrika’. The Acharya was closing eyes and minutely hearing him. He compassionately interrupted once and corrected a word. Sastrigal with all humility accepted the same. It was a nice scene to see.
My father used to refer ‘Aayiram kaal Mandapam’ of the Tamirabarani teertha. He accompanied his father in younger days, when the earlier Sringeri Acharya ( i think Shri Nrisimha Bharati Swamigal)gave lecture on a single shloka on the entire day.
The speciality of our KIC is having 18 agraharas. 18 has many more inner meanings. I think agraharam means, the ‘forefront garland’. This should be the ornament of the entire KIC. we Brahmins have great duty for the welfare of the entire mankind.
Hearing the ‘Advida philosophy’ from great preachers, im drawn towards that and
learnt few ’suktams’, etc. from Aangarai Shri Krishnamurthy Ghanapatigal in Guwhati. With the Almighty’s grace, i am happily married and we have a son.
To the possible extend we should follow our dharma and guide the next generation. i had very good room mates having vedantic knowledge here during my bachelorship. ‘Vedo vedavi rakshithaha’ is a rrue sentence.
My wife teaches Adi Shankarcharya’s shlokas to children and conducts gita competition among children through Chinmaya Mission. She is an I.T.O. I am employed in a cement distribution co.
I am practising Sahaja Yoga & surrendered to Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi .
My parents are Koma mami & VR mama of mudaliappa puram st. who r staying with my brother in calcutta. my mother (75 yrs) is the daughter of Kolathu Sir, vadakku mada theru.
OK brother, Lokha samastha sukhino Bhavantu .
Mr. Rajamani, I am Kannan’s friend and presently working in vijaya bank, regional office, guwahati as Manager and cousing of Mr. Moorthy and Shankar (Seetharaman Appalam Depot, Sannidhi Street) and now residing in Rehabari, Guwahati. My mobile number is 9864755044
please keep in touch
ketpatharke romba aburvamagavum and santhoshamagavum iruku. in this century, i wonder this kind of brahmin culture is still alive. after reading this, i want to spend my occational leave there only. if anything near chennai, i want to purchase like this.
in this current busy world, we have to remake agraharams. now a days its very hard to find an agraharam. i came to know propmart also making a big township agraharam. i wish them to have a success in this try.
i hail from ekambarapuram street, kallidaikurichi
i enjoyed the evening walk along tamiraparani river bridge-pleasant breeze
i hail from ekambarapuram street, kallidaikurichi
now working at tuticorin port trust
kallidai village – lovely place
It really felt good to read about the place I grew up. I try to visit Kallidai at least once a year…but it always ends up to be once in 2 years
.
I read this post…and skimmed through your blog entirely…Nothing offensive….just think about this….If you can make time for trips to different places in India as a tourist….you can definitely make time for a short trip to Kallidai. That will help your kids to know what a village is and appreciate it better…Just pass the goodies through generations….Again..am saying this not to hurt you…just a thought…
-Ramesh
Hi Kallidai Friends,
I never forget kallidai in my life. Wonderful life. I want to spend my retired life there only. After i left kallidai in 1990 I was working in Bombay till 1993 then I was with AT&T in Dubai till 1995. After that I went to Singapore till today. I took citizenship there. Whenever i came to india i like to visit kallidai atleast 2 days in Baskar Lodge. Now i am doing my own biz in Hyd, Vijayawada. Every week i am visiting my family in chennai. Every 3 months i am visiting Singapore friends. I like to hear more about kallidai and our great unforgetable memories…….
i hail from thonthivilagam st. my father is renganatha vathiyar.my brothers and sister are still there. I am50 years old. every year kallidai poven. vaikalil swim pannama varamaten.kallidai oru kanakanum kalangal. ninaithale inikkum.enga tehru vinayakar chathurthi thirunal ippavum vehu sirappaha nadakkirathu.wov the great kallidai.antha vaikal enna antha aathangarai enna chinna sankarnkoil enna perumal keruda sevai enna ther veethi ilvarum azhahu enna vadam pidikkum santhosham enna evalavo sollalam.ippozhuthu marainthuvitta adichevvai kolattappallakufunctionellam ninavukku varukirathu.
Kallidai is a wonderful place, iam proud to get a house there even though we are natives of kallidai. Functions are great, when its comes to river its super its a heaven on earth
hi i am very glad to c ur post ,i hail 4m veerapapuram st/ sri varagapurm street upto my college days i was in our heaven place only now i am in chennai miss u kallidai.
plz update all the spl.functions
Dear all Kallidai folks,
Though I am from VKPuram (lived in Madura Coats Colony all my school/college days), Kallidai has a special place in my heart for three reasons.
1) The rivulets and the green paddy fields that stretches yonder
2) Perumal Kovil
3) (last but not the least) my good friend and class mate Chuppa (Subramaniam from Ganapathi Lingam Applam). Have lost touch with him and last I heard he is in the US as a Doctor. Chuppa, ping if you see this mate!
I studied at St Mary’s @ VKPuram and Paramakalyani college @ Alwarkurichic and passed out in 1986. I will be visiting Tirunelveli next week (week starting 24th Aug).
It is so wonderful to see all your posts and I get nostalgic too. Had been to Kallidai on many occasions to hear kata-kalakshepams and play cricket matches!
One request to all you Kallidai folks! If there is a house that is available for sale, I would like to buy it out, God Willing. Can someone get in touch with me please? I am at Chennai now. My contact details are
Vedantam S Ayyangar
vayyangar@yahoo.com / vedantam.ayyangar@gmail.com
phone: 9940660442
Thanks and looking forward to your responses folks..
Warm regards
Veda
Dear Friends,
I am Swaminathan, still residing at North pattanainar puram st. Its so nostalgic to browse thru’ all your experiences and one can not quite deny the fact that the childhood days are always cherishable.
After leaving KIC, and visiting so many places, we know the importance of our home town.
As you all experienced different facets of life and in my own way, I feel KIC is superior to many other places of Tamilnadu in respect of cultural heritage.
I am missing you all and fortunate to search the net just like that to discover a treasure like this today.
Shall keep interacting in future.
I am with Clariant as Manager Marketing at Erode
Dear all friends,
We may live for few decades and go back to the Almighty who created us.
But , the speciality of our Kallidaikurichi (Once Shri Abhinava vidya teertha Swamigal of sringeri named it as ‘Kalyana kurichi’ – as many marriages were taking place during His visit) is that it has many majestic temples which stand for centuries.
Maanendi appar temple is so beautiful with huge boundry walls. The murtis there r so beautiful. Specially the navagrahas are carved out with all perfection. Sapta maatas, and other Gods r also appealing. The God’s name is Kanva-lingam. The Devi is very much stylish. Vadivambal Devi. She only gives us strength during our difficult times.
Shri Subramanya swami temple is another majestic temple. Though the kodimaram is for Lord Ganesh (such a big temple for Shri Ganesh), he has given the importance to his brother, Shri Kartikeya.
The speciality in that temple is the beauiful murti of “Shri Dakshinamurti on the prahaaram, seated on the gopuram.
Shri Lakshmi Swami is a kan kanda deivam. He smiles so majestically. On those days he was adorned with lots and lots of ornaments of old fashion ( not these days glitterings !). Specially aarattu in Poopallakku used to bring tears in our eyes.
Vaalavanda Devi is another Shakti. My mother used to melt upon seeing her beauty during Navaratri. The utsava murti used to sit in an oonjal taking different avataras on different days.
Kandappa koil is having the speciality of having all the three brothers, Shri Ganesh, Shri Muruga and Shri Aiyappa.
My father used to tell about ‘pagali koothar temple’ in agastiyar koil theru. i never viisted it , unfortunately. similarly kottai theru temple . there is a saying that near the nataraja murti of Maanendiappar temple there is a secret underground route to kottai theru temple. Can anybody through light on this ?’
I seldom visit Kallidaikurichi but fondly remember its orthodox tradition.
We respectfully remember Shri NVS Sir, who was the Head master of Tilak Vidyalaya. In spite of his tight schedule, he used to teach us Shri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram in Bhajanai Mutt in Mudaliappa puram St.
Can we expect teachers, scholors, orthodox grandmothers , like them now ???
My name is SUNDAR. My father’s name is VENKATARAMAN. I visited kallidaikurichi with my father on 7th august 2009. that was my father’s birth place. he was so happy when he saw the streets and canals in kallidaikurichi.
we visietd sadavudayar temple which just 10-15km away from kallidaikurichi-on the way to manimutharu dam.
that was unforgettable moment for me.
On september 12th 2009, my father passed away and attained the feet of sadavudayar.
People who read this may pray that my father’s sould should rest in peace.
U may share your thoughts with me about kallidaikurichi.
My mobile numebr is…….9994731736/9944451936.
THAT WAS THE FINE MEMORY…