The word malli (jasmine) in Tamil is inseparable from Madurai. The distinctive and most sought-after variety of the plant is cultivated in vast areas around the city. However, the village that gives birth to almost every jasmine sapling that gets planted in the malli-growing belt of the Madurai region has often stayed out of the limelight.
That village is Thangachimadam, around 160 kilometres from Madurai, on the Pamban island that is home to the famous temple town of Rameswaram. This coastal village, which is just 3.5 kilometres long between the shores on its northern and southern sides, is not only home to a thriving fishing community but also to at least 100 acres of jasmine nurseries. Jasmine growers from not only Madurai and other regions in Tamil Nadu but also from States such as Karnataka and Maharashtra come to Thangachimadam to buy saplings because of their quality.
