Point Calimere, also called Cape Calimere or Kodiakkarai, is a low headland of the Coromandel Coast, in the Nagapattinam district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Cape is located about south of Vedaranyam in the Kaveri delta, and marks a nearly right-angle turn in the coastline. The antiquity of the area is evidenced by the Kodi Kuzhagar temple built during the Chola period, and a Chola lighthouse, which was destroyed in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Kodiakkarai has been designated as a Ramsar site since August 2002. Point Calimere is also associated with the mythological Hindu epic, The Ramayana. The highest point of the cape, at an elevation of , is Ramarpatham, meaning "Rama's feet" in Tamil. A stone slab on the Cape bears the impressions of two feet and is said to be the place where Rama stood and reconnoitered Ravana's kingdom in Sri Lanka, which is to the south of the Point. It is also mentioned by Kalki in his historical novel Ponniyin Selvan.

Etymology and names The name Point Calimere has been historically associated with the Tamil name Kallimēdu (கள்ளிமேடு). The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India, in its report for 1876–77, described “Calimere” as properly Kallimēdu, meaning “Euphorbia mound”, referring to kalli, a Tamil name applied to species of Euphorbia, and mēdu, meaning a mound or elevated ground. The identification was independently recorded by John Watson McCrindle in his study of Ptolemy's geography, where Calimere was described as a corrupted form of the Tamil compound Kallimedu. McCrindle further connected the locality with Ptolemy's ancient geographical name Kalligikon, although this identification represented a nineteenth-century scholarly interpretation rather than an established ancient place-name continuity. The same form remained in contemporary gazetteer usage, with the Imperial Gazetteer of India listing the headland as “Point Calimere (Kallimedu)”.

The adjoining settlement is known in Tamil as Kodikkarai (கோடிக்கரை), a form that appeared in nineteenth-century administrative records as Codicaray. The Manual of the Administration of the Madras Presidency recorded Calimere Point and Codicaray separately, describing the latter as the nearby village, sanitarium and pilgrimage place associated with the coastal beacon.

Geography Point Calimere is a low coastal headland at the southern end of Nagapattinam district, where the Palk Strait meets the Bay of Bengal. It forms one of the seaward extremities of the Kaveri delta and marks a pronounced turn in the coastline. The surrounding terrain consists of coastal forest, mudflats, shallow wetlands, salt marshes and sandy shore. Elevation within the Point Calimere wetland complex ranges from sea level to about , with Ramarpatham forming its highest point.

History and navigation

Early hydrographic surveys The shoals off Point Calimere were being systematically charted long before a lighthouse was established. In 1763–1764, surveyor James Rennell examined the Calymere Reef from the vessel Neptune Snow; his survey was later published by hydrographer Alexander Dalrymple in 1782. On 3 August 1781, the masters of a British naval squadron separately surveyed a shoal between Point Callimere and Negapatnam. These surveys illustrate the cape's early importance as a navigational landmark on the approaches to the Palk Strait.

Point Calimere Lighthouse A navigational light was established at Point Calimere during the British period in 1890. The Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships, a subordinate office under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, records 1890 as the year in which the station was first commissioned, with subsequent alterations in 1902, 1933, 1986 and 1996.

The original installation was considerably simpler than the later lighthouse. A Notice to Mariners issued by the Presidency Port Office at Madras on 27 January 1902 recorded that the existing light, referred to in an earlier notice of 18 March 1890, consisted of a sixth-order fixed red light displayed from a white-painted steel mast and was visible for about . From 1 September 1902 this was replaced by a fourth-order white flashing light, exhibiting one flash every 45 seconds and visible for about seaward, displayed from a cement tower. Contemporary gazetteer literature consequently described a lighthouse as having been erected at Point Calimere in 1902.

The lighthouse continued to be modernised during the twentieth century. The present station is maintained as an operational aid to navigation near the north-western entrance of the Palk Strait. Official records describe the lighthouse as a circular masonry tower and distinguish it from the much taller Kodikkarai Lighthouse, which was commissioned farther west in 1998.

Ecology and conservation The forests of Point Calimere, historically known as the Vedaranyam forests, contain an important remnant of tropical dry evergreen forest; a Government of India notification describes the sanctuary as containing the largest continuous stretch of this forest type in the country. The Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary was declared in 1967.

The sanctuary includes the cape and its three types of habitat: dry evergreen forests, mangrove forests, and wetlands. In 1988, the sanctuary was enlarged to include the Great Vedaranyam Swamp and the Talaignayar Reserve Forest, and renamed the Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary, with a total area of . Point Calimere is home to the endangered endemic Indian blackbuck and is one of the few known wintering locations of the spoon-billed sandpiper. It also holds large wintering populations of greater flamingos. The area is dotted with salt pans and these hold large crustacean populations that support the wintering bird life. Pesticide runoff from agricultural fields and shrimp farms has entered the ecosystem resulting in many species having high concentrations of DDT and HCH in their tissue.

Cultural and religious heritage

Several sites of religious, historical or cultural importance are located within the sanctuary: Ramar Padam (literally: Ramas Footprint) located on the highest point of land in the sanctuary, is a small shrine containing the stone footprints of Lord Rama. Large numbers of Rama devotees gather here during the second week of April to celebrate Ram Navami Festival. Kuzhagar Temple or Kodi Kuzhagar Temple (கோடிக் குழகர் கோயில்):ta:கோடியக்கரை அமுதகடேசுவரர் கோயில் (also called Amrithakadeswarar Temple) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, located in the town of Kodikkarai in Tamil Nadu, India. Kuzhagar is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. Kuzhagar temple is originally believed to have been built by the Cholas and it has several inscriptions dating back to the Chola period. Navakodi Sitthar Aalayam is a temple in south of the Kodiakkarai village. The history of this temple is the wedding ceremony of Lord Shiva and Parvathy ammaal have been attended by lot many Sitthars at this location. Chola Emperor and Mannar Sarafoji were visited this temple. A small village called "Kanakkar Madam" near this shrine was demolished by 1940s (around 80 years ago) and the people who were living there are relocated to Kodiakkarai village and they are still called as Kanakkarmadathiaar's family. A large congregation of devotees from all over Tamil Nadu state to come on special day of Amaavasai/Pournami to celebrate a special festival here every year. The greatest lord and the environment gives the peace like never ever feel. Sanyasin Muniaswar Kovil is a shrine between the eastern bank of Muniappan Lake and Kodiakkarai Road visited by devotees on all auspicious occasions. On 20 March a special Puja is celebrated here. Mattumunian Kovil is a small temple in the south of the sanctuary where people worship and offer prayers throughout the year. A major festival occurs here on the 3rd Friday of September. Modi Mandapam is a shrine located near Ramar Padam where people of all castes worship. Hindu legend says that Lord Vedaraneswarer spends a night here with his consort during January - February. In the first week of March a major festival is held here. Avulaiganni Dargah is the grave of a Muslim saint located near the road by Ramar Padam. His death anniversary is observed here at the end of November. Shevrayan Kovil is a shrine to the deities Shevrayan and Soni located deep in the forests of the northern part of the sanctuary. A small village near this shrine was relocated outside the sanctuary after the creation of Kodiakkarai Reserve Forest. A large congregation of devotees from Arcothurai celebrate a special festival here in June/July.

Local communities

Adivasi Colony is a community of Ambalakars living in huts of mud, coconut fronds and palmyrah leaves on the edge of Kodiakkarai village. Their traditional livelihood was the collection of non-timber forest products in the areas that are now the sanctuary. These practices are now prohibited but not fully eliminated. Many of these people catch fish and small prawns in the nearby mudflats and swamps. Some work as day labourers in the nearby salt pans. They have little interaction with other communities on the island.

Gallery

See also Kodi Kuzhagar temple Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary List of birds of South India

References