NB

  I am sure that all of  us, at least once in our lifetime, have looked up at the night sky and wondered what, truly, are the stars? It is a basic human tendency to wonder and the night sky always triggers that instinct. One interesting thing here is that the way we look at the night sky  and perceive it has changed over the ages. During the early ages, we thought  the sky to be a blanket covering the earth and the stars are patterns on it. As thoughts advanced with time, the stars became part of  several cultural and religious practices. The movement of  stars helped us find time and directions. These movements were well monitored and became milestones in their endless journey. After a point, we were able to predict the milestones ahead. Now, with the use of modern equipment and science, we have understood that stars are situated in different spaces in the universe. Most of us are aware that even though two stars appear close to each other in the sky, th...

Perumukkal visit   About three years ago, I heard   from one of my acquaintances about a place called Perumukkal near Tindivanam which has both a historic and a prehistoric site. The stories that she narrated about her trip seemed really thrilling.   The caves she spoke about and the way she described the place were the very first triggers for my eagerness to visit the site. Then, while reading about the monuments in Mahabalipuram, an interesting document caught my eyes. It contained some brief information about the set of monuments in Perumukkal. A very quick glance through it made me crave to   experience the descriptions. I am writing this to induce those who are eager to crave and introduce others to this dreamland.   As the bright sunny morning gave way to a damp, hot afternoon, our car swiftly made a left turn to join the Tindivanam-Marakkanam bypass. Large, old tamarind trees, lush, green paddy fields, tiny yet tempting tea stalls, tractors and ...