freinds, while iam very impressed by the well maintained buddha viharam complex at palava neeswaram, the melayoor and vanagiri sites are extremely poor in shape. in fact the vanagiri site is hardly visible and completely robbed away by vandals. the melayoor site is in poor shape but we can see some semblence of an ancient structue.
these two important sangam age sites have very proud possesions of our heritage but their miserable(almost completely lost) conditions are apalling and i feel very sad about this.
i am very happy all of us shared my joys about my viharam experiences. the museum in the poombuhar coast is reasonably good and it has an ancient "silambu" similiar to the kannagi's. it was however found in kollam beach and donated to tn govt by a private antique collector.
the entire stretch between mayooram and poombuhar is thrilling to travel. the place is very,very fertile. the place swarnapuri(semponnar koil) is indeed a swarna" puri. so green and cool. the paddy feilds and the women at work there reminded me my shool poem by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
"behold her alone she reaps and binds the grains and sings the meloncholies at strain stop here or gently pass no nightingale has ever chant for the weary bands more welcoming haunts among the arabian sands"
nature and antique places and both at their richest possible state, in a same place....that will be possible only in the tanjore delta.