| Kolli Hills / Kolli Water Falls |
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Kolli Hills is a major mountain range and
is an outliner of the Eastern Ghats. It is eighteen miles ( 28 Kilometeres)
long (north south) twelve miles(19 Kilometers) wide (east/west) and
covers approximately 400 square miles. The name Kolli Malai refers
to the mountain's once hostile nature; the unsuspecting and unaclamatized
aliens, attracted by natural beauty. Viewed from plains of Namakkal
the mountain appears as a flat-topped mass. The mountain has been
inhabitated from prehistoric times. It is much celebrated in the
Tamil Literature
of the Sangam period; at least eleven poets mention it in their poems.
Next to the Servarayan, this is the only mountain that is still covered
with remnants of rain forests.
The government
reserve forests are seen in Ariyur, Puliyan Solai, Selur and Vazhavandhi
Nadu. An area of 2,00 hectares is in the process
of reforestation. Tigers and elephants which were once common
in it are now extinct; only small animals such as black bears, hares,
porcpines, and wild dogs are seen.
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Mountain
of the Holy Red Peak(1923) high. The legends have spawned a multitude
of names fir the hill such as Aravagiri, Brahmagiri, Bogimalai,
Chakkiri Meru, Dhenugri. According to the Ramayana legends , the
hill fell off from the Sanjivi when it was carried aloft by Anjaneya,
the Monkey God. Another legend claims that the hill was the result
of a combat of strength between vayu, the wind-god and Adhisesha,
the thousand -head serpent king.
Adhisesha coiled himself around the Himalayas and Vayu tried to dislodge
him by huffing and puffing. So fierce was the resultantstorm |
that Gods saints implored
the scrpent king to yeild. Adhisesha slightly raised one of his hoods in
order to listen better, when Vayu increased the force of wind and tore
off the raised hood along with five peaks. The peaks, stained with the
snake's blood, flew through the air and landed at where they are now. One
of the five peaks is this Nagagiri (Snake Mountian) the other four being
Kanjamalai, Sankagiri, Pushpagiri (otherwise known as Morur Malai) and
Urasa Kuntha Kottai hill. After the combat was over, Kamadhenu, the divine
cow, ontained from siva the grant of the five peaks and consecrated them
with her milk. They, collectively known as Panchanaadi Kodumudi, are: Dhanjayanaadi
Kodumudi, Dhevadhat- Thanaad-Kodumudi - Kumaranaadi Kodumudi, Kurukathanaadi
Kodumudi and Rishabanaadi Kodumudi.
The mountain is perceived as a symbol and a sacred place composed of
male and female elements , the peak stained with the male serpent's bold
and consecrated by the divine cow. The sacredness and symbolism are further
emphasized by the Siva temple on its top which is dedicated to Arthanari
female.
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The
only Siva temple in Tamil Nadu dedicated to the Halfed-woman lord.
The temple is situated on the Thiruchengode mountain at a height
of 465 metres. The chief deity is a statue of 5' high and is believed
to have been created by siddhars out of a herbal compound. The
temple also contains shrines for Murugan (Chengottu Valavar) and
Vishnu.
It is a large temple whose
outer walls measure 260' east-west by 198' north-south. The temple
itself is 170' long and 95' wide. the main structures of the temple
date back to the seventh century. Some of them (Artha Mantapam Maha
Mantapam, NariGangapathy Mantapam, Sabha Mantabam, and Thandava Pathirai
Vilasa Mantapam) were constructed in the sixteenth and seventeenth
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centuries. The north
gate tower. Built in the 1550s was renovated in the 1880s. The stone images
of Kumarasamy Kangayam (who built the halls of Nari Ganapathy and Thandava
Pathirai) and his four wives are on two
pillars. Local traditions claim that these pillars cure the ague of
worshipping sufferers. The traditions also claim stone Nandhi in the dance hall came to life
and ate grains on hearing the songs of Sivaprakasar, a visiting Saiva
saint. The stone window facing the main shrine lets in the rays of the evening
sun for three days year. The fall first on the feet of the deity and
slowly move upwards to the head as if in a devotional act of caressing.
| Tiruchengode Malai Tiruchengode
Malai |
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Mountain
of the Holy Red Peak(1923) high. The legends have spawned a multitude
of names fir the hill such as Aravagiri, Brahmagiri, Bogimalai,
Chakkiri Meru, Dhenugri. According to the Ramayana legends ,
the hill fell off from the Sanjivi when it was carried aloft
by Anjaneya,
the Monkey God. Another legend claims that the hill was the result
of a combat of strength between vayu, the wind-god and Adhisesha,
the thousand -head serpent king. Adhisesha coiled himself around
the Himalayas and Vayu tried to dislodge him by huffing and puffing.
So fierce was the resultantstorm that Gods saints implored the
scrpent king to yeild. Adhisesha slightly raised one of his hoods
in order to listen better, when Vayu increased the force of wind
and tore off the raised hood along with five peaks. The peaks,
stained with the snake's blood, flew through the air and landed
at where they are now. One of the five peaks is this Nagagiri
(Snake Mountian) the other four being Kanjamalai, |
Sankagiri, Pushpagiri
(otherwise known as Morur Malai) and Urasa Kuntha Kottai hill.
After the combat was over, Kamadhenu, the divine cow, ontained
from siva the grant of the five peaks and consecrated them with
her milk. They, collectively known as Panchanaadi Kodumudi, are:
Dhanjayanaadi Kodumudi, Dhevadhat- Thanaad-Kodumudi - Kumaranaadi
Kodumudi, Kurukathanaadi Kodumudi and Rishabanaadi Kodumudi. The
mountain is perceived as a symbol and a sacred place composed of
male and female elements , the peak stained with the male serpent's
bold and consecrated by the divine cow. The sacredness and symbolism
are further emphasized by the Siva temple on its top which is dedicated
to Arthanari female |
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Beautiful
river, its constituent streams are Aroychi Aru, Kanappadi Moolai
Aru, Maasimalai Aruvi, Nakkattu Aru, and Thazhigai Aru. It Orignates
in the Siddhan Kuttu Peak (4500) as Vellaipaazhi Aru. At various
points of its course in the kolli malai, this river is known
as the Arappalli Isvarar Arui. Beyond the Arappalli Isvarar Kovil
it falls down as Akaasa Gangai and flows out of the district
at Puliyamsolai to join with the Kaveri.
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