XplОrit - Travel Is My Home: Like and Share more with Us
* Marayur or Marayoor is a place in Kerala state, South India.
* 42 kilometers north of Munnar through the Udumalppetta route, Marayur is the only place in Kerala that has natural sandalwood forests.
* Ancient dolmens and rock paintings in Marayur date back to the Stone Age.
* Also called Muniyaras, these dolmens belong to the Iron Age.
* The most probable meaning of the place name is the Uru (Village) of Maravars.
* A tribe lived in this area during the turn of Christian Era, who used to attack travelers for looting, hiding in the forest.
* There are various meaning of this word like 'People who hide', “the land of the mountains”, "land hidden by the mountains".
* Legend has it the great Pandavas of Mahabharata epic, had stayed in the area during their exile and so the place was named as ‘Maranjirunna ur’ or the land (they) hide. Later it became the land’s name “Marayur.
* Marayur claims to be a part of a Stone Age civilization that is as old as 10,000 B.C.
* Its is also home to a later period of large-scale dolmen-building.
* The land and its unique dolmens, caves, rock edicts and engravings declare its rich heritage.
* People migrated from Tamil Nadu to this area when the Madurai king Thirumalainaicker was defeated by Tippu Sultan, in the eighteenth century CE.
* Migrated people created five villages which are Kanthalloor, Keezhanthur, Karayur, Marayur and Kottakudi.
* These villages were called as ‘Anju nadu, literally meaning “five lands”.
* However these place names are very old and aboriginal tribes still live in these villages, with their unique customs.
* However these place names are very old and aboriginal tribes still live in these villages, with their unique customs.
No comments:
Post a Comment