The region is dotted with several choultries

The district accounts for a large number of choultries (community halls) built during the Samasthanam era which were built by donors and rulers for ensuring comfortable stay for passengers, bulls, and carts. Many of these choultries are now in a dilapidated condition.

These choultries are a reflection of the hoary past and reveal interesting information, says N. Arul Murugan, Chief Educational Officer, who has done a study on these ancient buildings.

Grand buildings on the lines of the present-day guest houses have been built during the “samasthanam” era in the district, he says. A large number of British officers and sepoys who were visiting Madurai or Thanjavur had used these choultries often as they kept visiting these towns. These choultries can be found in Adhanakottai, Narthamalai, and Mirattunilai villages. “The location of these choultries had been recorded in A Manual of the Pudukkottai State”, he added.

The study brought to light the fact that the old highway route had changed over the decades following the formation of new rural roads or State highways.

The choultries are a mark of the old routes and provide information about donors from outside Pudukottai district.

For instance, one of the donors from Thanjavur had built a choultry at Mazhaiyur village in 1806. At Kuzhaiayn Viduthi, the choultry dates back to 1763, according to the study.

Mr. Arul Murugan points out that a village panchayat, Chinnaiah chathiram has now been named after its donor Rajasri Chinnadurai Tirumalaiyappan Thondaiman who built it in 1788.

A number of choultries could be located in other villages such as Mullur, Vadavalam, and Varappur, according to historical data available in the samasthanam records.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Tamil Nadu / by Special Correspondent / Pudukottai – May 20th, 2014