Betel leaves, known as Vetrilai in Tamil, is ubiquitous in religious ceremonies, house warming functions, and rural households across Tamil Nadu and the rest of the country. It is also used in herbal preparations, including liquid balm. Three famous Vetrilais of the State are Sholavandan, Authoor, and Kumabakonam. Of them, the Authoor and Sholavandan varieties have secured the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, while the Kumbakonam variety is exported to some countries.
The betel leaf grown in Sholavandan, a town panchayat in the Vadipatti block of Madurai district, is famous for its taste and aroma. According to the details provided by the Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Marketing Board and Sholavandan Vetrilai Kodaikal Vivasayigal Sangam (betel farmers’ association), farmers who grow other crops still dedicate a small part of their land to betel leaf cultivation. They send the produce to the Kallalagar temple at Azhagar Kovil in Madurai.
Buyers from Europe
It is also said Europeans came to the village in the past to buy the betel leaves from these farmers as they were believed to be the best in the region. The betel cultivation in the Madurai region found a mention in Maduraikanchi, an ancient Tamil poem of the Sangam literature, dated to the 2nd-4th Century CE.
In Varalatril Vetrilai (Betel Leaves in History), written by M. Chandramoorthy in 1977 and published by the Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology, the author points to the relevance and importance of betel leaves in Tamil Nadu, including those from the Sholavandan region. Maduraikanchi is one of the famous old Tamil poems of ‘Ten idylls’ (Pattuppaatu).
The book states that the betel leaves were sold by the vendors on the streets of Madurai during the late classical period (2nd-4th Century CE).
An inscription at the Janaga Narayana Perumal temple, one of the famous temples at Sholavandan, built by Kulasekara Pandian in the 5th Century AD, says, “The farmers in the Sholavandan area should donate the income from betel leaf cultivation to the Janaga Narayana Perumal temple and can get three times the amount donated to the temple from the king of Pandya, Madurai.” The Kumbakonam betel leaf is another special variety, which is exported to some countries. Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district is famous for two things — temples and betel leaves. In the early 1900s, poet and freedom fighter Mahakavi Bharathiyar wrote a song on the cultivation of wheat on the banks of the Ganga and of betel leaves on the banks of the Cauvery. And, Kumbakonam is situated on the banks of the Cauvery.
Organic soil
Even the Tamil film industry has taken inspiration from here for ages and several old songs and new gaana songs talk about the Kumbakonam Vetrilai. This leaf is cultivated in Kumbakonam and nearby Ayambettai, Rajagiri, Pandaravadai, Swamimalai, and Avoor. An old filing in the GI office in Chennai shows that the soil variety in Kumbakonam is very organic and the region has a good drainage system which helps in the abundant cultivation of betel leaf.
Another big name in the betel leaf market is the Authoor Vetrilai which is cultivated in several blocks of Thoothukudi, also known as the pearl city. This particular leaf is known for its mild spicy flavour. it comes in three variants — Nattukodi, Pachaikodi, and Karpoori. According to the Authoor Vattara Vetrilai Viyasayigal Sangam (Authoor Regional Farmers’ Association), Authoor Vetrilai has been used by people belonging to this village since the period of Maravarman Vikrama Chola Pandian.
According to details in Mr. Chandra Murthy’s book, “There is an inscription of Maravarman Vikrama Chola Pandian at the Somanatha Swamy Temple at Authoor in Thiruchendur Taluk, in which it is stated that the betel leaves are also included in the food provided to 15 Shiva Brahmanas on each moon day by Mangalakaludaiyar Ayyanar”. It was evident from this inscription that this betel leaf has been used by people since that era.
A mention from Marco Polo
Marco Polo, a Venetian merchant, explorer and writer, travelled through India by 1292-94 and wrote a book named The Travels of Marco Polo. In it, he highlighted the use of betel leaves by the people in the city of Kael. The distance between Authoor and Kael was 10 km. Over the last few years, the Tamil Nadu State Agriculture Marketing Board has been working on measures to take these betel leaves to the world market.
