A Wandering Heritager: Porayar, Gandhi Stayed House / காந்தி தங்கிய இல்லம் / Kumaran Sannidhi Street, Porayar, Mayiladuthurai District, Tamil Nadu.

Tuesday 25 July 2023

Porayar, Gandhi Stayed House / காந்தி தங்கிய இல்லம் / Kumaran Sannidhi Street, Porayar, Mayiladuthurai District, Tamil Nadu.

The Visit to this Gandhi Stayed House, a more than hundred years old Heritage building, on Kumaran sannidhi street at Poraiyar was a part of Shiva and Maha Vishnu Temples around Sirkazhi Visit on 1^st & 2^nd July 2023. The house is a single storied, constructed with brick and the roof is paved with hand made tiles. The house was constructed similar to Nattukkottai Nagarathar houses with a open space at the centre, surrounded by verandah and living room.

When Gandhi was in South Africa R Balaguru Chetty from Porayar became friend. R Balaguru Chittiar was a business man in Durban, who used to meet Mahatma Gandhi, and called him to Visit his native place Porayar, after returning to India.

R Balaguru chettiar in Gokahale's Group - Middle Row - the last right side

When Gandhiji started his satyagraha against racial discrimination in South Africa, Valliamma, a 15-year-old girl, daughter of an immigrant labourer from Thillaiyadi village near Porayar, joined him in the agitation. She was imprisoned and lost her life in the jail exactly on her 16^th birthday. And another person called Selvam a migrant labour also died in the Satyagraha at Durban. These two instances made Gandhiji, to accept R Balaguru Chetty’s invitation to visit Porayar.

Mahatma Gandhi, after return to India paid a Visit to Porayar on 1^st May 1915 and stayed in the House of R Balaguru Chetty on Kumaran Temple street for some days.

The benches used by Gandhiji

During his stay at Porayar and the subsequent visit to Thillaiyadi, Gandhiji witnessed the extreme poverty and the miserable lifestyle of the Dalits and the agricultural labourers. This visit to Thillaitadi, made an impact on Gandhiji, to think of to uplift the Harijans and their welfare. It was rightly said by Professor Maria Lazar, as, “Probably, it was at Porayar, Gandhiji decided to dedicate himself for the uplift of Harijans,”.

The house at Porayar was named as “Gandhi Kasthuri Villa”. A tablet contains the date of Gandhiji’s stay is, was affixed on the right side wall of the house, reads as “காந்தி தங்கிய இல்லம்”, ‘Gandhi Thankiya Illam’. In 1969, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi handed over the above tablet to Rathinavelu, grandson of R Balaguru Chetty, during his visit to Thillaiyadi. The 4^th generation descendents of R Balaguru Chettiar are living in the House. The benches made of teak wood used by Gandhiji is kept in the verandah and Kitchen.