The Paliyars and Shiva Temples of the Caturagiri Hills, Virudunagar District, Tamil Nadu, South India and the <i>Caturagiri Vazhinadaiccindu</i>

Abstract

Caturagiri is a mountain located about 58 km to the southwest of Madurai in southern part of Tamil Nadu, South India. The mountain valley, with a reserved forest cover, has two shrines dedicated to Shiva, natural shelters with rock paintings, and caves and shelters considered to be the abodes of the Siddhas. Thousands of people from Tamil Nadu visit the Shiva temples of Sundaramahalingam and Sandanamahalingam located on the Caturagiri mountain on the new moon days, and it has become a popular pilgrimage and tourist destination. This area is inhabited by the Paliyars who used to primarily subsist through hunting-gathering till the 20th century. This paper discusses about the Paliyars of this region, history of the Caturagiri temple, the Saptur Zamindari, which patronized the Caturagiri temples, and the Caturagiri Vazhinadaiccindu , which is found in the British Library. It argues that the Siddha medicine system perhaps had the contribution of the hill people of Tamil Nadu, including the Paliyars, who do preserve and practice the traditional medicinal system.