Selective Amnesia

Where science and myths clash

This saturday, I went out to a place called Thiruvakkarai, near Pondicherry. A non-descript, quiet, seemingly boring village that is apparently the back-bone of India.

This not so great a village, with not so great an economy that exists on agriculture and sculpture, hides within it a great treasure.

Before we get to the treasure, a little history about the little village.

This little village, like all other little village in Tamil Nadu, has a temple. The temple would most probably date about 800-900 years old. On an average, every 2nd village in tamil nadu would boast of a temple that is at-least 1500 years old, built by either one of the two chola dynasties, or sundry other kings. With great fan-fare, the temple caretakers would detail out the history and the legend associated with the temple.

This particular one in little Thiruvakkarai is by all accounts 2000 years old. Built by a minion of the Cholas, this temple is pretty unusual in that it has the Indian version of the Trinity in it’s sanctum. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva come together for a very rare moment in the face of the linga that is the central deity of Tamil temples.

To the story that really interests me this moment, let us turn. The Vishnu of the temple is called “Varadaraja Perumal” and is supposed to have killed a hideous monster/arakkan/demon in the vicinity. Legend has it that to this day, the severed limbs of the demon can be seen, as it has been preserved by the god as a warning to others.

And yes, I did see those severed limbs. And what perfect limbs they were too. Circular, with muscles rippling, perfect cuts, and hard as rock. Come to think of it, they are rocks.

More accurately, they are petrified (fossilised) tree trunks. The limbs are preserved in what seems to be a modern concrete enclosure. A board out at front proclaims the legend “Zoological Survey of India – National Park”.
This here folks, is no demon vanquished by a vengeful god. These are fossils that date back at-least 20 million years.

These petrified tress, Gymnosperms by disposition, if I remember my school books correctly, had been felled in some remote past, ferried across to the current location and left to undergo a process, the mechanics of which go way over my head, to be turned into rocks.

This then, is the treasure I spoke of. That a little village could contain such a great archaeological wonder is in itself great. A village of no more than 10 houses, a temple and two roads has in it a rock that’s at least 20 million years old, and more importantly, a rock that was once a living, breathing tree.

But what is greater to me, an aspiring fiction writer, is that how stories and legends are built around existing facts, some of which might be twisted around, and morphed to fit the stories. Truly the greater treasure. For me.

Imagine life as it must have been 2 million years ago, let alone 20 millions. Magnificent trees, big, tall, heavy, and proud masters of a realm not yet witness to man’s ravages. (as in destruction, as not in Ravages, the Blog Magister :o) )

The trees, felled by some greater force (am speculating here, the zoological survey board just mentioned that the tress were felled and transported to the current location – no details, so am assuming they were either felled by dinosaurs on a rampage, or by a ferocious storm (this area is prone to storms) and then somehow were dragged to this small hamlet) lie here, waiting patiently. Till time deposits layers upon layers of sand and dirt and rock, slowly undergoing a transformation, strange chemicals seeping into their skins, turning them slowly, but surely into the very rock they lie on. To be discovered 10 millions years or so later, by an unsuspecting villager who (data missing here, but let’s just get on with the story, shall we?) immediately proclaims it to be a demon’s legs, severed by his god. And aren’t we all safe?

I brought away with me a piece of the stone. The guide in the park very reverently handed it over to me, the stone. I have it here, today, on my TV Stand.

I look at it and wonder at the transformation it must have gone through. From single cells amoeba to a string of plant like plankton, to sea weeds to small shrubs on the surface to hesitant first of a kind trees to towering monarchs of Pre-historic earth to Dino breakfast to fallen logs to fossils to demon’s legs to exhibits at a national park to a demented guy who thinks he knows all about science.

What a great story that would make.