Next to the sign board Idaiseval on the national highway, a board in Tamil reads, ‘The birth place of Sahitya Akademi award winning writers Ki. Rajanarayanan and Ku. Alagirisamy.’
Entering this village road at Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi district, a visitor will first see the tractors. Half-a-dozen, mostly in green and red, and a harvester are parked on a yard to the right. Then half-a-dozen street dogs clamber around you when the houses start appearing one by one.
It looks like the village has been painted anew. Many of the houses look bright and spotty, sporting shades of yellow, green, lavender. Though a centuries old village, it is alive and kicking. Kids play around, the goats meander, the women walk carrying pots and children – yes, the rural landscape is still alive. The panchayat office is crowded. People wait in queue. Another colonial tradition dutifully followed.
