MADURAI: A researcher from Ramanathapuram Archaeological Research Foundation has discovered villages named after deer, antelope and their species, which are mentioned in Tamil literature across Tamil Nadu.
Palkarai V Sivaranjani, the researcher, said there were over hundred villages under the common name of deer, such as Manur, Manuthu, Manupatti, Mankanur, Mankarattupalayam, Mankulam, Mancheri, Mankadu, and Mankundu.
Based on the antlers of deer mentioned in Tamil literature, they are divided into two species: Iralai (Antelope) and Kalai (Deer). Antelopes possess horns, which are a permanent, unbranched structure. Deer have antlers, which are shed annually and regrow.
“In the antelope species, Iralai (blackbuck), Navvi (Chinkara), Maraiyan (Nilgai), in the deer species, Uzai (Chital) and Kadaman (sambar) are mentioned in Tamil literature,” she said on Monday.
Antelope species
‘Tevaram’ calls the male blackbuck with horns and dark body ‘Karuman’. There are also several villages with names such as Karmangudi, Karumangadu, Karumangkulam, Karumapalayam, Karumanjirai, Karumapuram, Karumanthurai and Karumanur. Because of its twisted horns, it was also called ‘Murukkuman’ and since it lives in grasslands, it was called ‘Pulvai’.
There are also villages with names like Murukkodai, Murukkampattu, Murukkambadi, Murukkankuttai, Murukkanparai, Pulvaikulam, Pulvaikkarai and Pulvaipatti, the researcher pointed out.
Deer species
Chital, a deer species, the spotted deer with antlers, is also called Uzai, Kalaiman. There are places with this name like Kalaikurichivayal, Kalaikudipatti, Kalaiyanvilakam, Kalaiyanur, Kalaiyur, Kalaikulam, Uzhayur, Uzhakudi, Pulliman Kombai and Pulimankulam.
The deer with antlers without spots is called Kadaman (Sambar deer). She also informed that there are many places named Kadamankulam, Kadamakuttai and Kadamanur.
“The fact that villages across Tamil Nadu are named after deer and antelope species mentioned in the Sangam literature, which is over 2,000 years old, is evidence of the continuity of culture,” she said.