This is the king of fruits, the delicious expression of a rich natural heritage. From its beginnings in the mists of time to its status today, the mango has come to enjoy a significant status socially, religiously, culturally and economically. It has a special place in the very ethos of the country.

The story of this fruit goes back four thousand years and more, mentioned as it is in ancient Hindu scriptures. However, the exact place of its origin is debatable. Most researchers agree that wild mango existed as far back as 2,000 B.C. in modern Siam, Burma, Indo-China, and the Malay Peninsula. Wild mango trees bearing small, fibrous fruit with a turpentine-like taste are still found in the forests of these regions. Fossil records indicate that the common Indian mango, Mangifera indica, probably first appeared in present day Assam in the later part of the Quaternary period. In the early stages of evolution the fruit was small, fibrous, and almost acidic in taste but centuries of selecting the best plants and mixing desirable traits through vegetative propagation resulted in the “mango” fruit we know today – large, fleshy, flavour-filled, and central to cuisine during the summer months.

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The Hare Against the Hound

The memory of folk heroes has a way of persisting despite the vagaries of time and historical record. Veemaraja Kattabomman, the man who stood up against colonial pressure, proves this by taking his place amongst the long remembered fighters for Indian Independence.

The concept of the nationhood of India and the fight for her independence from the British is usually understood to have evolved into a movement with the First War of Indian Independence in 1857. However, this sentiment did not erupt abruptly. The groundswell of the movement gathered momentum well before this date. Ballads and folklore ensured that accounts of heroic (though sporadic) deeds of isolated leaders who refused to acknowledge the power of the foreigner were popularly known to every village rural person over time. These pioneer-warriors were the inspiration for freedom fighters who were yet to come. Among many such heroes and heroines, Kattabomman occupies a special place.

Born on January 3, 1760, in the village of Panchalankurichi which lies eighteen kilometres away from the twin cities of Tirunelveli – Palayamkottai in the present-day district of Thoothukudi in southern Tamil Nadu, Kattabomman grew into a peoples’ leader who dared to fight the British without the support of other rulers. Though he paid with his life, he lives on in folk-memory as the epitome of bravery.

Veemaraja Jagaveera Pandiya Subramania Kattabomman was the eldest son of Jagaveera Kattabomman, a warrior, and belonged to the group known as Palayakkarar (chieftain) or Polygars. The ‘Palayakkarar’ were seventy-two hereditary chieftains who belonged to Palayamkottai. They had been appointed during the rule of Vishwanatha Nayak (1559-1563 AD) by his chief minister and advisor Ariyanatha Mudaliar after the Vijayanagara and the Pandya dynasties had died out. Nayak continued the adminstrative strategies of the Vijayanagara kings and retained the same infrastructure. Of these Palayakkarar, some were descendants of local Pandyan chiefs and others were loyalists of the Nayaks. Each was in charge of separate fiefdoms, palayam (area) in and around Madurai. Each Palayakkarar was an independent entity entitled to collect taxes to be shared with the king and to raise a standing army for his own protection as well as for the king’s requirements, taking much interest in being administrators of their area and spending time improving the infrastructure with water tanks, dams and temples.

Jagaveera Pandiyan was Palayakkarar of the territory known as Azhagiya Veerapandiyan. Since he was childless, his army chief Gettibommulu who was also known as Adi Kattabomman succeeded him to the post, proving to be a brave warrior and an able administrator. According to legend, his descendant Veera Pandiya was once on a hunting expedition at Salikulam when he saw seven hounds chasing a hare. And then the roles were reversed and he saw the hare chasing the hounds instead. Struck by the hare’s bravery, he concluded that the soil of the place must be special to have instilled such courage in a normally timid animal. To this day, the local belief is that even the chickens hatched at Panchalakurichi are fiercer than their ilk elsewhere.

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Heritage India is the result of a long cherished dream. A dream of helping discover, through the pages of a magazine, the magnificent treasures of this beautiful land called India. We plan to peel away layers of time and involve the reader in deciphering the intricate social, cultural and historical tapestry that makes this, one of the richest civilisations that exists today.

We invite you to extend your support so that Heritage India becomes a dynamic magazine that mirrors the wonder that is India. Write about your travel experiences, concerns about the upkeep of heritage sites and other interesting trivia related to India’s culture and civilisation and send it to creative@heritage-india.com. We will choose the best stories and post them on the Heritage India blog.

We share a common responsibility- to carry forward a heritage that our ancestors left behind. Use this platform to strengthen the bridge that connects the past with the future.

Team Heritage India

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