A Peep into Periya Thriumozhi 67

[Guest guest]

aruvidangaL pozhil thazhuvi

 

The Vertical Growth

 

If we deeply think on why apartments are coming up, the obvious

answer is shortage of space. In a given place, the structures have

spread horizontally and once the place is insufficient, the buildings

are being developed vertically. This is one of the tangible

transformation of urban centres.

 

These go up,as if scratching the sky and hence termed as 'sky scrapers'.

 

The rich horticultural heritage manifest as various flowers -lotus,

senkazhunEr, kaidhai flowers and so on and so forth. They spread

horizontally initially and also grow on the ponds hither and thither.

Once, these space is filled up, these gardens grow vertically filling

up the space in the sky. This vertical growth has been visualised by

sri thirumangai AzhwAr in thiru-nAngUr arimEya viNNagaram first

pAsuram but not in the context of concrete jungle but in relation to

natural vegetation.

 

This is aptly described by sri periya vAchAn piLLai as follows:

 

"... malargaL, migu thAmaraigaL .pUkkaL migundhuLLa thAyaigaL,

sen-kazhunEr,thAmaraigaL, ivai parandha poigaigaL dhOrum avagAsangaL

dhOrum viLanga,ingu idam illAmaiyAlEa sOlaiyAnadhu parappaiyudaiya

idam adaithukoNdu Ongi..."

 

The various flowers like lotus, senkazhunEr kaidhai etc. spread

themselves on the various ponds and due to shortage the gardens grow

up into the sky and fill up the space displaying splendour and

beauty.

 

"...malargaL migu kaidhaigaL sen-kazhunEr thAmaraigaL thadangaL dhorum

thigazha, aruvidangaL pozhil thazhuvi ezhil thigazhum nAngUr" 3-10-1;

 

Perhaps the

 

THE HANGING GARDENS of thirunAngUr

 

(to be continued)

vanamamalai padmanabhan