The National Fossil Wood Park located in Tiruvakkarai in Viluppuram District is maintained and protected by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) since 1957. The park was established in the year 1940 and is located 1 kilometre east of Tiruvakkarai village, 35 kilometres from Puducherry on the road to Tindivanam.

The park is an archive of preserved fossilized trees that are at least 20 million years old.The place gives a glimpse of the floral composition that belonged to the ancient times. The park also has Ancient Burial Site.

Image Attribution : Paramatamil

The Wood Fossils

More than 200 wood fossils are spread over 247 acres in nine separate enclaves around Tiruvakkarai. But the portion of the park open to public is relatively small.

It is believed that the fossils were formed during the massive flooding that occurred aeons ago. Over time, the organic matter inside the trunk got replaced by silica and they got hardened and fossilized. The colour, shape, annular rings and texture was retained. The high level of perfection in petrification process and brilliantly preserved fossil forest in Tiruvakkarai is a rare sight indeed.

The fossilized trees or trunks of trees range from 3 to 15 metres in length. The trunks are scattered and are partially buried in the ground. According to GSI, the absence of roots, barks and branches indicate that the trunks were transported and fossilized in the park.

How to reach National Tiruvakkarai Fossil Wood Park

The park is located 1 kilometre east of Tiruvakkarai village and lies 155 kilometres south-southwest of Chennai following NH 45 up to Kutteripattu via Tindivanam. It is located at a distance of around 28 kilometres from Puducherry Railway Station and about 22 kilometres from Puducherry Airport.

Epilogue

The park is a geological wonder and a relic that stands as a testimony of the past. The rock formations of the woods leave a spectacular impression on one’s minds. Entry to the park and photography is not charged.

Location & Features of Kalvarayan Hills

Nestled in the quiet solitude of the Eastern Ghats in Tamil Nadu, around 150 kilometres northwest of Chidambaram, is the picturesque Kalvarayan Hills.

The Kalvarayan Hills extend over an area of 1095 square kilometres. The hills separate the Kaveri river basin to the south from the Palar river basin to the north. The Kalvarayan is divided into two sections – the Chinna Kalvarayan (average 2700 feet in height) constituting the northern section and the Periya Kalvarayan (average 4000 feet in height) constituting the southern section.

The hills are filled with scrub jungles, deciduous forests and Sholas. Gomukhi Dam is the reservoir that holds water from falls in and around Kalvarayan Hills. The climate around the area is mostly temperate making it a peaceful place ideal for trekking.

The Kalvarayan Hills is home to the Malayalee Gounder tribe. The hill ranges have two waterfalls (Megam and Periyar Falls), a beautiful botanical garden, several temples and forests. Summer festival is held in the month of May every year.

How to reach Kalvarayan Hills

The nearest cities to Kalrayan Hills are Kallakurichi (about 56 kilometres away) and Salem (about 70 kilometres away). Buses can be availed from Kallakurichi to Gecherapalayam – a place in the ground level of Kalrayan Hills. Villupuram Station is the nearest railway station which connects the place to Chennai and Pondicherry. Trichy Airport is the nearest airport to the hills (175 kilometres away).

Epilogue

Unwind the roads less travelled and have an enthralling experience at the Kalvarayan Hills.

Overview & Location of Gingee Fort

Gingee Fort lies in the Viluppuram District, close to the Union Territory of Puducherry and at a distance of around 160 kilometres from Chennai. Gingee is alternately called as Senji, Jinji, Chenji or Senchi Fort.
It was called the “Troy of the East” by the British and ranked as the “most impregnable fortress in India” by the Maratha King Shivaji. The Fort is administered and maintained currently by the Archaeological Survey of India. The fort attracts a lot of tourists throughout the year.

Image Attribute : Brownycat

The Gingee Fort – Etymology

• It was called Badshabad by The Bijapur Nawabs hold the fort from about 1660 to 1677 AD.
• It was called Chandry or Chindy by their successors, the Marathas.
• It was named Nusratgadh by the Mughals, who captured the fort in 1698 AD.
• It came to be known as Gingee or Jinji by the English and the French.

The Gingee Fort – Legend

The Fort is associated with the tragic story of Raja Tej Singh who was also known as Thesingu Raasan. Young and brave Tej Singh revolted against the Nawab of Arcot and was killed in the war that followed. His life and brave but tragic end was praised in numerous ballads.

History of Gingee Fort

Gingee came into the hands of various ruling dynasties of South India starting from the Cholas.

• Gingee was the place of Jains in the beginning.
• The site of the small fort was originally built by the Chola dynasty during the 9th century AD
• The fort was later modified by Kurumbur and again by Vijayanagar Empire during the 13th century and 14th century.
• Strong and tall fort walls, temples on the plains were built using granite under the Nayakka rulers (from the end of 14th century AD for 150 years).
• Taking advantage of the frequent skirmishes between the Nayakas of Gingee, Madurai and Tanjore, the Bijapur Sultans captured Gingee.
• It was further strengthened by the Marathas under the leadership of Shivaji in 1677 AD.
• Gingee fort was then captured by the Mughal General Zulfiqar Khan.
• The fort subsequently came under the rule of the French and British.
  The rule of foreigners and their indifference towards the maintenance of the fort has left the place as a memorial for its admirers.

Architecture of Gingee Fort

The enormous structure of the fort has been built at the most strategic location making it difficult for enemies to enter the premises. The Gingee Fort complex is on three hillocks: krishnagiri to the north, Chandrayandurg to the southeast and Rajagiri to the west. The complex houses a seven-storeyed Kalyana Mahal (marriage hall), granaries, a temple dedicated to its presiding deity Chenjiamman. The fortification of the complex has a sacred pond known as Aanaikulam.

The Gingee Fort – Timings & Traveller Tips

The Fort remains open on all days from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The entrance fee is Rs. 5 per person, Rs. 100 per head for foreign citizens and free for children below the age of 15 years.

It is advisable for travelers to equip themselves with required snacks and water, umbrellas or caps to avoid the scorching heat. Visiting the fort during weekdays is advisable to dodge heavy crowd. It is ideal to visit the fort during the winter months of November to February.

Trekking to the fort makes the trip more adventurous. The fort encompasses exquisite interiors and spots worth exploring. The fort makes a good place for photography whilst experiencing its antiquity.

How to reach Gingee Fort

The fort can be easily reached by taking a cab or private buses. The nearest railway station is at Tindivanam (around 31 kilometres away) and nearest airport is at Chennai (136 kilometres away).

Auroville Ashram

Auroville Ashram conceived as the ‘Universal Town’ is located mostly in Viluppuram District in the state of Tamil Nadu with some parts in the Union Territory of Puducherry. Auroville or the City of Dawn was founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa (known as “the Mother”) and designed by architect Roger Anger. Auroville has its origins in the French language ‘aurore’ meaning ‘dawn’ and ‘ville’ meaning ‘city’. It also gets its name after Sri Aurobindo.

In the words of Mirra Alfassa, “Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity.”

Image Attribution : Jaseem Hamza

The Vision of Auroville: A Brief History

The concept of Auroville was developed in the mid 1960s, was supported by the Govt. of India and the UNESCO passed a resolution in 1966 commending it as “a project of importance to the future of humanity”. The inauguration ceremony, held on 28th February 1968, was witnessed by around 5,000 people and attended by delegates of 124 nations including all the States of India. The Mother set forth the 4-point Charter of Auroville.

The Auroville Charter

The Charter forms a referent silently guiding the people who choose to live and work for Auroville.

• Auroville belongs to nobody in particular. Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole. But, to live in Auroville, one must be a willing servitor of the divine consciousness.
• Auroville will be the place of an unending education, of constant progress, and a youth that never ages.
• Auroville wants to be the bridge between the past and the future. Taking advantage of all discoveries from without and from within, Auroville will boldly spring towards future realizations.
• Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living embodiment of an actual human unity.

Society and Population

Auroville is an emerging township intended to house 50,000 people, around 2,500 volunteers from India and some 50 countries from around the world. It is surrounded by 13 villages. As of January 2018, Auroville has 2,814 residents from 54 countries.

Organisation & Governance

The land and assets of Auroville are held by a Government appointed body called the Auroville Foundation that ensures the achievement of its goals. Bodies such as the ‘Working Committee’ and ‘Auroville Council’ and ‘working groups’ are elected from volunteers to meet the basic administrative needs of the community. Auroville maintains a totally non-hierarchical society and no one individual or group is in charge in the affairs.

Economy

The Govt. of India owns and manages the Auroville Foundation, but it only finances a small part of Auroville’s budget. A part of its finances comes from:

• NGOs and other organizations in India and abroad
• Profits of Commercial units within Auroville (around 180 commercial units are operating in Auroville)
• A number of ‘Auroville International’ centres around the world
• From guest houses, cash donations made by visitors and guests, outside well-wishers and families of Aurovilians
• Residents of Auroville are expected to contribute a monthly contribution to the community.

The structure of the city

The city of Auroville has an architecture as fascinating as the concept itself. The city is planned in a circle of radius 1.25 kilometres. The city area of the township occupies around 1,150 acres while the Green Belt occupies approx 2,780 acres of land. At the centre of the city is the Matrimandir surrounded by gardens. Just outside this lies the industrial zone, the cultural zone, the peace zone and the residential zone. The entire city is covered by a ‘green belt’. Cited near the Matrimandir and banyan tree at the center of Auroville is the Amphitheatre with a white, marble-clad, bud-shaped urn at its focal point containing soil from the 124 nations and all of India’s States that had participated in the inauguration ceremony of Auroville.

The Matrimandir: A Spiritual Centerpiece

The Mother, from the outset, said that there would be a ‘Park of Unity’ at the center of her town and in the park would be a Pavilion which she eventually named “Matrimandir”. Matrimandir is translated in English as “The Mother’s Shrine”. She also added that the ‘Park of Unity’ would consist of twelve gardens which she named as: Existence, Consciousness, Bliss, Light, Life, Power, Wealth, Utility, Progress, Youth, Harmony, Perfection.

She named Matrimandir’s North, South, East and West pillars after the four Aspects or Personalities of the Supreme Mother: Mahakali, Maheshwari, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswathi. There are twelve meditation rooms located inside Matrimandir’s twelve large ‘petals’, named after twelve Virtues or Qualities: Sincerity, Humility, Gratitude, Perseverance, Aspiration, Receptivity, Progress, Courage, Goodness, Generosity, Equality, Peace.

Matrimandir is equipped with a solar power plant and is surrounded by manicured gardens. The mandir is an architectural masterpiece with a lotus-shaped foundation urn and provides a perfect atmosphere for meditation. Botanical Garden – The southern half of Auroville’s Green Belt is being developed into a Botanical Garden on an approximately 50-acre plot of land. With an Environmental Educational Centre in the vicinity, the garden has more than 250 tree species planted in the 250-acre arboretum, 5500 specimens planted in its 10-acre conservation forest and a Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest plant nursery created so as to produce 50,000 seedlings a year.

Additional Information

• All guests staying in Auroville are expected to pay Rs. 150 as ‘guest contribution’ per day of intended stay.
• Auroville has many registered guest houses, the prices of which vary according to the facilities, services and degree of comfort provided. It is advisable to book accommodation in advance, especially during the peak season of December to March.
• Auroville has a swimming pool and gymnasium complex including a floor space for martial arts, aerobics, dance, pilates, body awareness etc.
• The chambers at the Matrimandir are open to visitors are open at fixed times in the morning and evening. The visitors need to first go to the Visitors Centre, where an introductory video on the Matrimandir is shown. Later on, they obtain a Pass to see the outer structure, Banyan Tree and Amphitheatre. To visit the Chambers inside, they need to make a booking any day except Tuesdays at the Visitors Centre at 10-11 A.M. or 2-3 P.M.
• Auroville has two travel agents: The Travel Shop, an IATA-approved agency near the main Health Centre which opens Mon-Fri 9 A.M.-12.30 P.M. & 1.30-5 P.M. and Sat 9 A.M.-12.30 P.M., and Yatra Nova on the edge of Kuilapalayam village, open Mon-Sat 9 A.M.-5 P.M.. Both accept Credit Card payment.

How to reach Auroville

Auroville is about 150 kilometres south of Chennai and about 10 kilometres north of Pondicherry town. It can be easily reached via the East Coast Road (ECR) which connects Chennai and Pondicherry. You could take a train from Chennai Central Railway Station and get down at Guindy. Further, take a bus to Pondicherry and get down at the Auroville Junction on the ECR Road. You could also take a bus from Chennai Koyambedu Bus Station for Pondicherry to get down at Auroville Junction. Pondicherry and Chennai are the nearest airports.