Adyar (அடையாறு / Adayaru)
River
Adyar in Chennai.
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
City	Chennai (Madras)
Source	Adanur Tank
- location	Manimangalam village, Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India
Mouth	Adyar estuary
Length	26 mi (42 km)
Basin	204 sq mi (528 km2)

Coordinates: 13°00′49″N 80°15′56″E / 13.01367°N 80.26559°E / 13.01367; 80.26559 Adyar (Tamil: அடையார்) or Adayar, originating near the Chembarambakkam Lake in Chengalpattu district, is one of the two rivers which winds through Chennai (Madras), South India, and joins the Bay of Bengal at the Adyar Estuary. The 42.5 km-long river contributes to the estuarine ecosystem of Chennai. Despite the high pollution levels, boating and fishing take place in this river. The river takes in surplus water from about 50 tanks and lakes, small streams and the rainwater drains in the city. Most of the waste from the city is drained into this river and the Cooum.

Origin and course[link]

Adyar river starts from Malaipattu tank (80.00° latitude and 12.93° longitude) near Manimangalam village in Sriperumbudur Taluk at about 15 km west of Tambaram near Chennai. It starts to appear as a stream only from the point where water from Chembarambakkam lake joins the river. It flows through Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chennai district for about 42.5 km before joining the Bay of Bengal in Adyar, Chennai.^[1][2] Here it forms an estuary, which extends from the Adyar Bridge to the sandbar at the edge of the sea, with some small islets in-between. The estuary covering an area of about 300 acres was made a protected wildlife reserve in 1987.^[3]

Sunset over the river

Geography[link]

A view of the Adyar River from the Manapakkam Bridge

The river has varying depth with approximately 0.75 m in its upper reaches and 0.5 m in its lower reaches. The catchment area of the river is 530 km². Bed width ranges from 10.5 to 200 m. If flows to a length of 24 km in the Chennai Metropolitan Area including about 15 km within the Chennai District before draining into the sea.^[4] It discharges about 190 to 940 million m³ water annually to the Bay of Bengal. The discharge is seasonal with about 7 to 33 times more than the annual average during the North East monsoon season between September to December. The river is also supplied by surplus water from about 40 ponds.^[5][6][7]

The present capacity of the river is 39,000 m³/s whereas the anticipated flood discharge capacity is about 60,000 m³/s. During the floods of 2005, the river had a discharge rate of 55,000 m³/s.^[4]

Ecology[link]

Adyar Estuary and Creek and the Theososphical Society on the Estuary's southern side has been a haven for migratory and resident birds for years. The environmental conditions in the estuary with low salinity, good shelters and high plankton availability in the Adyar creek serves as a good nursery for fish. The flow of tidal water in and out of the creek allowed for easy travel of boats. It therefore encouraged fishing and there was a thriving economy of fish trade here. However, with the city's sewage and effluence from its various industries, for some time, emptying into the river, the biological activities in the region was affected. Although the number has been in decline due to pollution and anthropogenic activities, they still attract hundreds of birds. Even before few years the Theosophical Society has come out with a CD on 'Birds of Adyar', compiled by Trust for Environment Monitoring and Action Initiating. The proposed Adyar Poonga may be a first towards restoring this fragile but vibrant eco-system.

Contamination[link]

The river receives a sizeable quantity of sewage from Chennai after reaching Nandambakkam near Chennai. The river is almost stagnant except during the rain season. Rapid industrialisation and urbanisation has led to severe contamination of this river.^[1] However, the river gets just 10 per cent of the untreated sewage being let into the three principle waterways of Chennai daily, with the other two, namely, the Buckingham Canal and the Cooum River, taking the major share (60 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively).^[8]

The problem of sedimentation was not severe as the Adyar's width near Thiru.Vi.Ka. Bridge is nearly 480 m that enabled tidal effect into the waterway for about 4 km. However, it was essential to provide groynes to keep the river mouth open for adequate width and prevent inundation during monsoon. In 2011, the Water Resources Department (WRD) proposed to construct groynes to reduce formation of sand bars near the mouth the river.^[9]

Landmarks[link]

The Theosophical Society, Anna University, Madras Boat Club, Thenral^[10] are prominent institutions located in the banks of Adyar.

The Adyar Estuary

Bridges[link]

• Broken bridge in Foreshore Estate, a pedestrian bridge that is now broken and not in use
• Eliphinstone Bridge in Adyar, now not in use
• Thiru Vi Ka Bridge in Adyar
• Kotturpuram Bridge in Kotturpuram
• Maramalai Adigar Bridge in Saidapet
• Alandur Causeway in West Saidapet
• Jafferkhanpet Bridge in Jafferkhanpet
• Ramapuram Bridge in Ramapuram, near MGR's house.

Gallery[link]

• 

  The Adyar River, c. 1905

• 

  A flooded Adyar river

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Adyar River

• http://www.thesouthchennai.com - Online Tamil News Portal about Adyar at south chennai zone.
• Anna varsity begins study on water quality in rivers
• Check dam to harness rainwater
• [1]
• Brodie Castle Madras

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[[nl:neel river

Maraimalai Adigal (Tamil: மறைமலை அடிகள்) (15 July 1876 – 15 September 1950) was an eminent Tamil orator and writer. He was a devout Hindu as a staunch follower of Saivism. He has authored more than 100 books, including works on original poems and dramas, but most famous are his books on his research into Tamil literature. Most of his literary works were on Saivism. He founded a Saivite institution called Podhunilaik Kazhagam. He was an exponent of the Pure Tamil movement and hence considered to be the father of Tamil puritanism. He advocated the use of Tamil devoid of Sanskrit words and hence changed his birth name Vedhachalam to Maraimalai.

Politically he was inclined towards non-Brahminism and hence he and his followers considered that the Self-respect movement was born out of his efforts. Nevertheless, the atheist ideologies of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy were shunned by Maraimalai Adigal and caused years of differences between the two. Maraimalai Adigal spent most of his income on buying his books and after his death his collection were made into a library according to his will.

Early life[link]

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Maraimalai Adigal was born on 15 July 1876^[1] to Cokkanata Pillai and Cinnammai.^[2] His birth name was Vedhachalam. He did his early schooling at Wesley Mission High School in Nagappattinam, but had to abandon his formal education with Fourth Form after his father's death.^[3]

English and Sanskrit Learning[link]

His stint as a student in Wesley Mission High School Nagapattiam made him proficient in English language. When refused to be taught Sanskrit by a Sanskrit teacher on his being a non Brahmin at his early age, he found a way out by teaching a fellow Brahmin student English, learnt fom that boy Sanskrit on daily basis and became proficient in Sanskrit.

Education in Tamil literature[link]

Maraimalai Adigal in spite of discontinuing his formal education after 9th grade, continued learning Tamil language from Tamil scholar Narayana Pillai, who was making his livelihood by selling Tamil palm leaf manuscripts.^[3] He learnt Sanskrit and English through his own effort.^[2] He later authored several articles in Tamil monthly called Neelalochani. He later studied Saiva Philosophy under Somasundara Naicker. With the help of Sundaram Pillai, author of Manonmaniam, he learnt Tamil poetic dramas and thus acquired employment as a Tamil teacher in a school in Trivandrum.^[3]

Career[link]

At the age of seventeen, he got married to Soundaravalli and soon after his marriage, he moved to Chennai to work as a sud-editor to a journal Siddantha Deepikai. Later, in March 1898, he quit this job to work with V. G. Suryanarana Sastri as a teacher in Madras Christian College. In his time in Madras Christian College he toured throughout Tamil Nadu giving lectures on Saivism.^[3] At about the same time he started a society for Saivism called Saiva Siddhanta Maha Samajam.^[1] As a young teacher he was popular with his students who would visit his house to listen to his lectures.^[2]

(Though he changed his name (Marai = Vedham; Malai = achalam; Adigal = swamy) only in the 1916, we chose to address him as Maraimalai Adigal (for the period prior to 1916)out of shear respect for that great Tamil Scholar/ leader )

"Tamil made optional" by Madras University : In the year 1910 a decision was made by the Madras University to make Tamil language (vernacular) as optional for graduation in Arts subject leaving English as a medium of education. Some members of the University, who were inimical to Tamil but unashamedly calling themselves as Tamils made a proposal to make English and Sanskrit as compulsory subjects. In the absence of a true Tamil who could oppose that shameful act, only a European member took strong objection to that move and questioned as to how Tamil, a language rich in literature and grammar spoken by the majority people could be made as optional, while making Sanskrit, a language not spoken by anybody be made as a compulsory subject. Thus their sinister attempt to make Sanskrit as compulsory failed miserably.

Maraimalai Adigal Left the Job: Because of the above decision of Madras University many Tamil teachers lost their jobs. Realizing the vast knowledge and his great capacity as a teacher Miller the then Head of Christian College Madras and other friends insisted that Maraimalai Adigal be given a job in the college and should not leave the job. As the opportunity to teach Tamil got considerably reduced and number of students opted Tamil was minimal,the need for full time teacher was not a required. Maraimalai Adigal had refused the offer of Miller and other friends from other colleges and resigned his Christian College job to lead an ascetic life in a serene atmosphere outside the city and to study and do research in Tamil.

Works in Tamil literature[link]

Apart from being a good orator he composed several Tamil poems too.^[3] He authored more than 100 books. Other than essays and novels he wrote books dealing with literary criticism, philosophy and religion, history, psychology and politics.^[4] His collections of poems to Hindu god Murugan, which he composed during the times of illness were published as Thiruvotri Muruhar Mummanikkovai in 1900. He also wrote poems in memory of his teacher Somasundara Naiker in 1901 as Somasundarak Kaanjiaakkam. This has been considered as one of his best works. He also released his research work on Tamil literature Mullaip Pattu Aaraichi for students of Tamil literature.^[3] He translated Kalidasa's Sakuntalai into Tamil.^[1]

Some of his prominent works include:^[4]

• Pattinapalaai Aaraaichi-yurai (1906)
• Tamizhthaai (1933)
• Sinthanaikatturaikal (1908)
• Arivuraikkothu (1921)
• Chiruvarkaana Senthamizh (1934)
• Ilainarkaana Inramizh (1957 - posthumous publication)
• Arivuraikkovai (1971 - posthumous publication)
• Maraimalaiyatikal paamanaikkovai (1977 - posthumous publication)

In 1911, he published his first novel, Kumuthavalli allathu Naahanaattarasi, an adaptation of English novel Leela by G. W. M. Reynolds.^[4]

• • Maraimalai Adigalar was the first and foremost author of self-improvement/self-help/personality development books in India. His works can be compared with those of Emerson,M.R.Kopmeyer,Dale Carnegie etc. He wrote the following books in the 1890s and they are still available at the leading publishers at Chennai,India :-

1. Maranathin pin Manithar Nilai (Human Life stage After Death) 2. Mesmerism and Hypnotism 3. Tholaivil unarthal (Telepathy)

As Swami Vedhachalam[link]

Maraimalai Adigal as an Author and Publisher: After quitting Christian College job On 10 April 1911, he moved to Pallavaram, a suburb of Chennai. While at Pallavaram, he started to dress as a Sanyasin from 27 August 1911 and became to be known as Swami Vedhachalam. He became a devout follower of Saivism and started an institution named Podhunilaik Kazhagam. The motto of the institution was set at Ondre Kulam, Oruvanae Devan (Mankind is one, and God is one). The Kazhagam made efforts to make people of all castes, creeds and religions to worship together. He started a printing press named, "Thiru Murugan Press" (TM Press) in his residence at Pallavaram and published a number of books and magazines detailed above. He also started a monthly called Gnaana Saaharam (Ocean of Wisdom).^[3]

[edit] Pure Tamil movement Tanittamil Iyakkam

In the year 1916 he became an expert

of pure Tamil movement advocating the use of Tamil language devoid of loan words from Sanskrit. Thus he changed the name of Gnaana Saaharam to Arivukkadal and his title of Swami Vedhachalam to Maraimalai Adigal (where Adigal is Tamil for Swami).[5] Thus he is referred to as the Father of Tamil Puritanism.[5][6][7]

Maraimalai Adigal and Self-respect movement[link]

Non-Brahminism[link]

Apart being the called as father of pure Tamil movement, Maraimalai Adigal is also considered as father of Non-Brahmin Tamil movements.^[7] Maraimalai Adigal himself claimed that the non-Brahmin stance of Self-respect movement was born out of his views and principles.^[8] Nevertheless, the atheist stance of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, who was heading the Self-respect movement, was observed by Maraimalai Adigal and his followers as counter productive.^[9] On this issue, Ilavalaganar, a student of Maraimalai Adigal wrote:

Differences with Self-respect movement[link]

Although initially a supporter of the Self-respect movement, which he saw as a non-Brahmin movement, he vehemently opposed the atheistic views of its leadership. At one stage he asked Ulaganatha Mudaliar, brother of Thiru. Vi. Kaliyanasundara Mudaliar (Thiru Vi. Ka as he was popularly known) and an eminent Saivite scholar himself, to arrange for a state-wide tour to counter the propaganda of the Self-respect movement.^[10] Maraimalai Adigal looked upon the Self-respect movement as a handiwork of the Vaishnavites. On this Maraimalai Adigal wrote

Kalyanasundara Mudaliar, although a Saivite himself, disagreed with Maraimalai Adigal. Kalyanasundaram refused to publish Maraimalai Adigal's essay against Self-respect movement in his journal.^[10] The antipathy between Maraimalai Adigal and the members of Self-respect movement was also explicit with Kudiarasu, the political organ of Self-respect movement claiming that Maraimalai Adigal was calling for Periyar to be murdered.^[11]

Reconciliation[link]

Eventually after years of disagreement, both Maraimalai Adigal and Periyar realised that the disagreement is harmful for their interest and worked towards a repproachment.^[12] Periyar offered an unconditional apology to Maraimalai Adigal and in reply, Maraimalai Adigal wrote a series on the Ramayana in Periyar's English language weekly Revolt.^[13] Although the apology and reconciliation were at a personal level between Periyar and Maraimalai Adigal, the difference in ideologies still made their followers to cross swords.^[13]

Maraimalai Adigal Library[link]

Maraimalai Adigal spent most of his income on buying books.^[5] Research on the readership of his book collections show that between 20 April 1923 to 10 August 1930 a total of 1852 people had borrowed his books.^[5] The readership included people from Madras Presidency, Sri Lanka, Burma and Malaysia.^[5] Upon his death, on 15 September 1950,^[1] according to his will, the books were left for the people of Tamil Nadu and thus a library named after him was started in 1958 by the then MD, Padmashri V.Subbiah Pillai of South India Saiva Siddhanta Works Publishing Society Ltd. at Linghi Street, Chennai. by adding more no of rare collection of tamil books^[5] The library was a repertoire of books and journals, some printed way back in 1779. In May 2008 Tamilnadu Government helped by allocating a space at Connemara Public Library but the library management is still with the present MD R.Muthukumaraswamy M.A., B.Lib.Sc., of South India Saiva Siddhanta Works Publishing Society Ltd. .^[14]

See also[link]

• Pure Tamil movement

Notes[link]