A small grove with an
area of 1.1 hectare is situated in Periyakumatti village in Cuddalore district
of Tamilnadu, dedicated to the goddess Kilialamman, on the state high way
between Cuddalore and Chidambaram. The main deity is sheltered within a temple of
brick and mortar. A perennial pond is situated in the forecourt of the temple
where people clean themselves before entering the precincts of the sanctum.
In
this grove, Kilialamman is the main deity and Aiyanar is the secondary deity.
Terracotta horses line the way to the Aiyanar shrine. People offer flowers,
fruits and pongal (rice cooked in milk and jaggery) regularly. Images of peafowl
and terracotta horses are offered to Aiyanar on special occasions. Goats and
fowls are sacrificed to the goddess Kilialamman. After harvesting, the village
people ritually offer paddy to make pongal and to perform puja and ghee for
lighting the lamp in the temple. Oil extracted from the punnai (Alexandrian
laurel) seed is used to light the lamp. The people believe that the goddess
Kilialamman protects them from floods, cyclones and other catastrophic events.
The priest performs spiritual healing with the neem twigs. Hunting and
gathering of wood are strictly prohibited. Fallen twigs and wood may be used
for temple purposes. The annual festival is celebrated in the month of Aadi
(June- July) every year. During the annual festival, before taking out the
procession of the decorated Amman, four goats are sacrificed in the four
corners of the temple for the smooth conduct of the festival. There is a common
belief that if those who want progeny must make and offered pongal to the
deity, tying a thottil (cradle) on the uddhala, vidimaram (Indian Cherry
/Cordia mixa) tree in the grove.
The Story
A merchant was
carrying a cartload of tamarind to be sold at Cuddalore. While the merchant was
crossing the grove, he heard a call and looked around. He could not find
anybody except a parrot sitting on a banyan tree. The merchant got scared,
since the place was desolated, and drove his cart faster. After reaching the
market, the merchant found charcoal instead of tamarind. The merchant realised
his mistake of not responding to the divine call. He returned to the grove and
sought pardon for disregarding the anonymous call. Kilialiamman, the goddess of
the grove, appeared before the merchant and offered consoled him. After that,
the merchant visited the grove and worshipped the Amman regularly. Kilialiamman
was satisfied with his devotion and reconverted the cartload of charcoal into tamarind.
The merchant was happy and, as a token of atonement, he installed an Amman idol
inside the grove and started worshipping the goddess regularly. Since the Amman
was believed to have been incarnated as a parrot on a banyan tree, the goddess
got the name ‘Kilialamman’ - Kili (parrot) + aal (banyan) + amman (goddess) -
and the grove is known as ‘Kiliaalamman thoppu’ (Kiliaalamman grove).
Biodiversity of the
grove
The grove extends
over an area of about three acres and is a conserved patch of tropical dry
evergreen forest. The soil is humid and damp in texture. The grove is
relatively less disturbed with a dense vegetation cover. Around 45 plant
species belonging to 33 families are found in the grove. The major species
occurring are Callophyllum inophyllum, Ficus hispida, Ficus amplissima, Ficus
recemosa, Acacia leucophloea, Azadirachta indica, Lepisanthes tetraphylla,
Borassus flabellifer, Atalantia monophylla, Paramignya monophylla, Acacia
leucophloea, Pongamia pinnata, Syzygium cumini, Dioscorea oppositifolia,
phoenix pusilla, Ecbolium viridae, Calamus rotang, Pandanus odoratissimus,
Theriophonum minutum, Cissus quadrangularis, Gloriosa superb, Tinospora
cordifolia, Coccinia indica, Hemidesmus indicus, Aristolochia indica, Asparagus
racemosus, Combretum albidum and Lepisanthes tetraphylla.
Threats
In general, the threats are mainly
anthropogenic activities due to the development in and around the temple. Cattle
browsing is high in the grove because of a waterbody nearby.
Source
http://www.cpreec.org/Vol17-No2.July-Aug11.pdf
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