The Sourashtrians first came to the temple city from the erstwhile Somnath region of Gujarat about 300 years ago, mainly because their skill in weaving impressed the monarchs of Madurai, namely Thirumalai Naicker and queen Mangammal who invited them to weave their royal clothes.
People from the community were given permission by the then monarchs to encroach the roads to dry their dyed thread and yarn, by putting up their looms. They mastered the art of dyeing using the water from Vaigai river, which they found was good for the thick dyes. Also known as 'silk thread makers', the Sourashtrians were given homes near the king's palace in the heart of Madurai city and even now, over 1,000 houses around the Thirumalai Naicker mahal belong to them and are architectural wonders of the bygone era. Walking on the streets around the mahal in the evenings can transport one back in time and women sitting on the doorsteps of closely packed houses, stringing jasmine flowers and decorating their hair is a common sight.
Weaving was their only trade till about 50 years ago. The resemblance between the design of Sungudi sarees of Madurai to the Bandhani of Gujarat stands as testimony to their origin. According to C K Narasimmachari, an octogenarian who has done a lot of research into this community, there are a little over two lakh Sourashtrians in Madurai. People from this linguistic minority are also found in Paramakudi, Dindigul, Thanjavur and other parts of Tamil Nadu. "We are culturally as well versed in the vedas as the brahmins, but are classified among the backward classes," he said. According to him, queen Mangammal set up a committee to review their expertise as brahmins opposed their claim. The committee finally did endorse that they too were vedic experts.
The contribution of people of this community to the development of Madurai is immense. The 101-year-old Sourashtra Higher Secondary school introduced the free meal scheme for its students much earlier than the government, says R Sridhar, a businessman. Known for having close knit families, the joint family system is very much prevalent among them even today, where many generations are seen living under one roof. They also believe in following various rituals and elders are given the prime importance in households. The Sourashtrians also actively participated in the freedom struggles of the region. N M R Subburam (1905 - 1983) spearheaded the freedom movement in the region by embracing Gandhian principles, for which he later came to be known as 'Madurai Gandhi'.
The famous Tamil playback singer T M Soundararajan belongs to this community. So were famous yesteryear stars like M N Rajam, Devika, Kanaga to name a few. Being religious, they have also contributed to the growth of Hinduism in this region. Their festivals are similar to the people of Madurai and they are now a very integral part of the social system.
People from this community love socializing and their cuisine is relished by people from all sectors. Variety rice, including lemon rice, tamarind rice, tomato rice and sambar made with mutton are some of their specialities. About half a century ago they started branching off into various business ventures, including textiles, education, banking and other commercial establishments and even today, some of the most successful businessmen in Madurai belong to this community. Politicians who have contributed to Madurai's development have also emerged from this society, like former MP AGS Rambabu. Organisations like the Sourashtra Club and Sourashtra Sabha help bring these people closer and also hold speech competitions for youngsters on a regular basis to ensure the sustenance of their dialect. A Ramkumar, a teacher, says that saving their dialect and making sure that the younger generation was familiar with it was one of the priorities of their community.
Source - TOI
People from the community were given permission by the then monarchs to encroach the roads to dry their dyed thread and yarn, by putting up their looms. They mastered the art of dyeing using the water from Vaigai river, which they found was good for the thick dyes. Also known as 'silk thread makers', the Sourashtrians were given homes near the king's palace in the heart of Madurai city and even now, over 1,000 houses around the Thirumalai Naicker mahal belong to them and are architectural wonders of the bygone era. Walking on the streets around the mahal in the evenings can transport one back in time and women sitting on the doorsteps of closely packed houses, stringing jasmine flowers and decorating their hair is a common sight.
Weaving was their only trade till about 50 years ago. The resemblance between the design of Sungudi sarees of Madurai to the Bandhani of Gujarat stands as testimony to their origin. According to C K Narasimmachari, an octogenarian who has done a lot of research into this community, there are a little over two lakh Sourashtrians in Madurai. People from this linguistic minority are also found in Paramakudi, Dindigul, Thanjavur and other parts of Tamil Nadu. "We are culturally as well versed in the vedas as the brahmins, but are classified among the backward classes," he said. According to him, queen Mangammal set up a committee to review their expertise as brahmins opposed their claim. The committee finally did endorse that they too were vedic experts.
The contribution of people of this community to the development of Madurai is immense. The 101-year-old Sourashtra Higher Secondary school introduced the free meal scheme for its students much earlier than the government, says R Sridhar, a businessman. Known for having close knit families, the joint family system is very much prevalent among them even today, where many generations are seen living under one roof. They also believe in following various rituals and elders are given the prime importance in households. The Sourashtrians also actively participated in the freedom struggles of the region. N M R Subburam (1905 - 1983) spearheaded the freedom movement in the region by embracing Gandhian principles, for which he later came to be known as 'Madurai Gandhi'.
The famous Tamil playback singer T M Soundararajan belongs to this community. So were famous yesteryear stars like M N Rajam, Devika, Kanaga to name a few. Being religious, they have also contributed to the growth of Hinduism in this region. Their festivals are similar to the people of Madurai and they are now a very integral part of the social system.
People from this community love socializing and their cuisine is relished by people from all sectors. Variety rice, including lemon rice, tamarind rice, tomato rice and sambar made with mutton are some of their specialities. About half a century ago they started branching off into various business ventures, including textiles, education, banking and other commercial establishments and even today, some of the most successful businessmen in Madurai belong to this community. Politicians who have contributed to Madurai's development have also emerged from this society, like former MP AGS Rambabu. Organisations like the Sourashtra Club and Sourashtra Sabha help bring these people closer and also hold speech competitions for youngsters on a regular basis to ensure the sustenance of their dialect. A Ramkumar, a teacher, says that saving their dialect and making sure that the younger generation was familiar with it was one of the priorities of their community.
Source - TOI
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