Know about Kamuthi- A lovely place of Kamuthian's

Location

Kamuthi is a town in the district of Ramanathapuram , south India. It is situated on the banks of the river “Gundar”. The King of Ramanathapuram is known for his assistance to Swami Vivekananda on his trip to USA to participate in International Religious conference.

Kamuthi is well connected by road and just 80 Km away from the nearest airport, Madurai. The main activity in the town is commerce. Kamuthi is the one of the major market for surrounding villages.

Education in Kamuthi

There are several schools and a Arts college in Kamuthi. Kamuthi schools are ranked one of the best in the District. Kamuthi schools have produced a lot of Engineers and Doctors. Earlier there were only state board curriculum in Kamuthi , but nowadays matriculation curriculum is also swiftly catching up among the people.

Secularism in Kamuthi :

Hinduism, Christian and Isalm are the major religion followed in Kamuthi. Beyond accomodating all the religious people, Kamuthi displays the true secular identity to anyone entering the town. The view of the towers of the Temple, Mosque and Church together is a nice representation of secularism.

Social Mix :

Kamuthi accommodates people of various castes. Some streets are named with the caste names like Nadar Bazzar, Chettiyar Bazaar, Muslim Bazaar etc. Even though kamuthians are separated by the caste, a strong brotherhood runs through them. Caste clashes have become the happenings of the past.

Pasumpon :

Another feather in Kamuthi’s crown is the Pasumpon. It is the birth place of revered leader Thiru.Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar. It’s just a Km away from Kamuthi. The annual guru Puja at his tomb is a mega event in this area. The eminent people from all the spheres of life offer their prayers on that day in person.

Archelogical Interests in Kamuthi

Kamuthi has a lot of archelogical interests. The fort on the river bank is of historical importance and attracts tourist to the town. It is built by the Sethupathis during the 17th century A.D.,

A rare 10th century Jain Tirthankara sculpture, which throws more light on the Pandya kingdom's glorious past in the trade sector and prevalence of religious harmony between Saivism and Jainism during that period, has been found near Kamuthi .

Just 2 km west of Kamuthi on the Aruppukottai main road is situated a temple, where hundreds of villagers offer prayers to the deity, Vazhivitta Ayyanar, tonsuring their heads and sacrificing goats. When the Archaeological Department officers from Madurai visited the temple last year, they found two interesting `Vattezhuthu' inscriptions engraved on a slab, which dated back to 10th century AD.

The inscriptions revealed the existence of a Siva temple, Arikesai Iswaram by name, at Tiruporpunam, since the early Pandya period. The shrine had lost its trace even as the modern Ayyanar temple, which had come up in its place, started gaining popularity; the name and location of the former assumed importance in its historical settings. According to archelogical experts, Maravarman Arikesari, who ruled the Pandya kingdom during 650-700 A.D., was a contemporary of Tirugnanasambandar, the first among the Thevaram trio. It was Sambandar, who converted the king from Jainism to Saivism "at the instance of Queen Mangayarkarasi."

The exploration of the Jain sculpture, which had been made in the proximity of the Siva shrine created in the name of King Arikesari Pandya, was of much interest to historians. "It leads us to the surmise that Jainism had flourished up to the 10th century A.D. even after the revivalist movements by Saiva saints were launched during the 7th century A.D."

To know more about Kamuthi, you can either visit the town or contact me at mageshram4u@yahoo.co.in