Aayi Kulam, Muthirapalayam, Puducherry

Aayi Kulam, Muthirapalayam, Puducherry

Aayi Kulam is a historical pond located in Muthirapalayam, an outskirt of Puducherry Town in Union Territory of Puducherry.

History

King Krishandevaraya, the ruler of the prosperous Vijayanagara empire, ruled over the Deccan. His empire stretched from Karnataka to Kanyakumari. One day, the king set out from his capital at Hampi and went on a tour of his kingdom. While traveling through Pondicherry, a trading city and a sea port on the eastern coast of his empire, was travelling through Ozhukarai (presently the Oulgaret municipality) to meet a nobleman, Uyyakonda Mudaliar. a beautiful building caught the king’s eye. The king looked with amazement at the building’s architecture and it carvings. The religious king thought it was a temple. He knelt on the street and bowed down before it with folded hands.

The people around looked at the king with surprise. There was a stunned silence. The young men and women were hiding behind their elders and giggling. A wise old man walked up to the king and asked him, “Your Majesty, why are you bowing down in front of a brothel?” The king looked up in horror. He caught the old man by his throat and demanded an explanation. The old man croaked, “Sire, this is a brothel. It is run by a prostitute called Aayi”. The king loosened his grip. The old man collapsed on the street.

The embarrassed king roared with anger. He ordered his soldiers to bring the prostitute to him and tear the building down from its roots. The soldiers got hammers and axes and started demolishing the brothel. The prostitute, Aayi, was brought to the king in chains. She fell on the kings feet and asked for mercy. She begged the king to spare the house, but the king’s ego was deeply bruised. He did not listen to her. Aayi, in a desperate plea, asked the king, the permission to break down the house herself. The king agreed.

The prostitute broke down her beautiful house and, in its place, dug a water tank for the people around. The place was known as Aayi Kulam in her memory. Years later, the French made Pondicherry their capital in India. The French town on the sea shore faced an acute water shortage. All the wells they dug had only salty water. The French King, Napoleon III, sent an architect, Monsieur Lamairesse to sort out the problem. The architect built a 5 km long tunnel from Aayi Kulam to a park in the French part of the town.

The French king heard about the story behind the water tank, was deeply impressed. The Governor of Pondicherry sent a letter to the French king thanking him for sending the architect, Mon. Lamairesse. The King told him to thank Aayi and wrote that she deserved a monument. He ordered the architect to build a monument for Aayi. The monument was built in French architectural style at the center of the park. This Monument is still can be seen in the center of Bharathi park located near the Rock Beach.

Aayi is not Puducherry’s lone philanthropist. Devadasis Bangari, Oosi and Singari were also instrumental in taking up welfare projects. Aayi’s sister Oosi is supposed to have renovated the massive Ousteri Lake, spread across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry while Bangari was responsible for the construction of the Bangaru Vaikkal which channels water from the Pennaiyar river into the Bahour cascading tank system. Stone inscriptions and, researches proved it is not merely figments of one’s imagination. Ousteri, Bahour Lake and the Bangaru Vaickal are robust and still functional.

Aayi Kulam

It was once a big pond of fresh water and associated with the perennial drinking water project of Puducherry during the French regime. It is now in a very pathetic state. Aayi Kulam was used as the local Mariamman temple’s Theppa Kulam or pond for ceremonial use in recent past. During festivities, temple deities were brought out to the pond and people gathered around to celebrate. It looks like a normal pond without any water.

Connectivity

Aayi Kulam is located at about at about 100 meters from Muthirayarpalayam Bus Stop, 4 Kms from Osudu Lake, 6 Kms from Puducherry Main Bus Stand, 6.5 Kms from Puducherry Railway Station, 6 Kms from Puducherry Airport and 149 Kms from Chennai Airport. Aayi Kulam is situated on Pondicherry Bus Stand to Vazhudavur / Pathukannu Bus Route. Tourists can get down at Muthirayarpalayam Bus Stop. Aayi Kulam is located at a walkable distance from this Bus Stop.

PRTC Bus 12 A is plying between Pondicherry Bus Stand to Pathukannu will stop at Muthirayarpalayam Bus Stop. All the other private buses running in this route also stops here. Tempos from Muruga Theatre Signal also takes you to this Bus Stop. Taxis and Autos are also available to reach this pond from any part of Puducherry. Nearest Railway Station is located at Puducherry. Nearest Airport is located at Puducherry and Chennai.

Location