"It was a wonderful experience interacting with you and appreciate the way you have planned and executed the whole publication process within the agreed timelines.”
Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh Pal
Some six centuries ago, waves of families from one of the most conservative communities of the Cauvery basin took the remarkable decision to migrate across the peninsula to an unknown land. What drove them from the comforts and privileges of life in Thanjavur? What drew them to the wooded banks of a river on the other side of the mountains? What did they find when they arrived? What kind of life did they build?
From Cauvery to Neela tells the history of the Tamil agraharams along the Neela River in Palakkad. In crisp and readable prose, the author sketches a community dedicated to scriptural tradition and traces its forays over time into politics, science and the arts. Like all perpetual students of human history, he also looks into the future—what does it hold for the ever-changing agraharams and their people?
K.N. Lakshminarayanan
K.N. Lakshminarayanan (IRPS Rtd.) is a native and resident of Kalpathy. After retiring from his position in the Indian Railways, he devoted his time to research on the origin and history of the Tamil agraharams of Palakkad. He collected materials from old legal documents and gazetteers and created a website on Kalpathy around the time this cluster of villages was declared a heritage area in 2008. He continues to be active in heritage events and serves on the committees of the Kalpathy Viswanathaswamy Temple and the Palakkad Mridangam Maestro Mani Iyer Memorial, and as President of the Thyagaraja Aradhana Committee of Kalpathy. For some years, he published a monthly residential magazine for the village. His articles on music, musicians and Kalpathy heritage have appeared in Malayala Manorama and The Hindu and he was interviewed in Sruti magazine on the subject of Palakkad musicians. He has written a book about the Kalpathy temples that is now being published by the Viswanathaswamy Temple trustees. Mr. Lakshminarayanan remains the first reference for students, writers and documentary film makers exploring the subject of the Tamil agraharams of Palakkad who wish to rely on an authentic, knowledgeable and impartial source of information.
